


When the Abyss Stares Back

by Presephone



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mind Control, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Slow Burn, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, not beta read - i die on the hill that i write on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 58,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25596964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Presephone/pseuds/Presephone
Summary: Some of the darkest moments of our lives can help to shape us into who we are. This was a fundamental belief that Emmaliene Harrington had built her life around. Until one day, she begins to question everything. What new enemies and allies will she find along the way? And how will she be able to distinguish one from the other?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 29





	1. What's Past is Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This story is the first that I am posting to AO3. I'm looking forward to sharing my story with you as I have had fun working on it thus far. Although I've shared the story elsewhere, I am relatively new to the fanfiction world and still adjusting to sharing my writing with other people. So please be kind with comments/reviews as I am still self-conscious. 
> 
> I do prefer to preface each chapter with specific warnings that may trigger people.
> 
> I have the first several chapters written for this story, so I'll be sharing them a little faster in the early few days. But my updates will typically be once a week. However, I am transitioning back to work after having knee surgery, so my updates may decrease over the next month until I readjust to being back at work. But, enough of my babbling, on with the story!
> 
> XOXO - Presephone

**CONTENT WARNING: **What's Past is Prologue contains descriptions of violence.

* * *

 **HOWARD COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT  
** **Howard County, Maryland  
Homicide Division - Investigative Report**  
 **Case No. 0642795**  
 **Assigned** : Detective Marcus Wells  
 **DISPATCH CALL TRANSCRIPT**  
 **Dispatcher #827** : Matthew Clawson  
 **Time of Phone Call** : 19:58  
 **Length of Call** : 5 minutes 42 seconds  
24 December 1993

 **Dispatcher 827** : 911, do you require Fire or Medical?  
 **Caller** : _[inaudible whisper]  
_ **Dispatcher 827** : Caller, can you please speak louder?  
 **Caller** : _[whispered]_ There's a monster in my house.  
 **Dispatcher 827** : There is a monster in your house?  
 **Caller** : _[whispered]_ Yeah... Can you send someone to help?  
 **Dispatcher 827** : Of course, I just need to get some information, okay? Can you tell me your name?  
 **Caller** : _[whispered]_ I'm Emmaliene... But my friends call me Emmy.  
 **Dispatcher 827** : That is such a pretty name. How old are you, Emmy?  
 **Caller** : _[whispered]_ I'm 9... My birthday was in October. Mommy invited all of my friends, and we had a princess party. Daddy asked the _real_ Princess Belle, and she read stories with us.  
 **Dispatcher 827** : That is so great. Can you put your Mommy or Daddy on the phone?  
 **Caller** : _[whispered]_ No... Mommy put me in this closet and told me to stay hidden until she comes back.  
 **Dispatcher 827** : Emmy, you're doing such a great job. Can you tell me where you live?  
 **Caller** : We live in the big house on Ravens Court. 52-something. The house surrounded by all the trees. I'm sorry...  
 **Dispatcher 827** : That's okay, Emmy. You're so brave. I think I know where you live. _[_ _to someone else]_ She's at the Harrington estate. We need fire, EMS, and law enforcement.

[ _distant screaming is heard_ ]

 **Dispatcher 827** : Emmy?! Who is screaming?  
 **Caller** : _[crying]_ That's my mom! You have to save them!

_[Sounds of a door opening and running]_

**Caller** : _[crying & shouting]_ Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?!  
 **Dispatcher 827** : Emmy! I need you to stay in the closet until the police get there! They are on the way.  
 **Caller** : No! I have to help them fight the monster!

_[The phone drops to the ground. Screaming is heard followed by loud sobbing]_

**[Call Ends]**

* * *

**HOWARD COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT  
** **Howard County, Maryland  
Homicide Division - Investigative Report  
** **Case No**. 0642795  
 **Assigned** : Detective Marcus Wells  
 **INCIDENT SUMMARY:** 24 December 1993

 **First Responder Summary  
** **Officer Hector Salvador**

I arrived on the scene to find the front doors of the residence locked. My partner, Officer Lauren Reinhart, could hear a child screaming inside the home and decided to kick in the door. Weapons were drawn as it was unsure if a suspect was still in residence. We located the child in the master bedroom on the second floor of the home. Upon entering the bedroom, we found the female child crying next to a deceased female. The young girl was holding the women's head in her lap and clutched her hand. We found the deceased male hanging by his neck in the closet just off the bedroom. While Officer Reinhart attempted to soothe the child, I investigated the remainder of the bedroom to ensure that there were no other bodies present in the immediate area. None were present. When the paramedics arrived, one evaluated the deceased parties while another assessed the child. She began screaming and wouldn't let anyone touch her, and she climbed into Officer Reinhart's arms. We exited the room with the child as the other officers swept through the rest of the house, and the crime scene technicians arrived. Officer Reinhart took the little girl over to the back of the ambulance while I walked over to speak with Detective Wells.

**[End of Summary]**

****This summary has been corroborated by Officer Lauren Reinhart.**

**No further officer summary required.**

* * *

**HOWARD COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT  
** **Howard County, Maryland  
Homicide Division - Investigative Report**  
 **Case No**. 0642795  
 **Assigned:** Detective Marcus Wells  
 **INCIDENT SUMMARY:** 24 December 1993

 **First Responder Summary  
** **Samuel Palmer - Paramedic**

Upon entering the residence, several police officers directed me and Joshua Lewis (Paramedic) to a second-floor bedroom. Joshua and a police officer were attempting to convince a little girl to let go of the female, so I decided to evaluate the deceased male. As I entered the large closet and I checked for a pulse, per procedure, but none was detected. He was hanging from his neck in the center of the room and had scratches to his arms and face. A blood-soaked \knife was on the floor below him. I moved back into the main bedroom and noted my partner and the two officers leaving the room with the little girl. The deceased female was leaning against the foot of the bed, and she had no pulse. She had a deep cut across her neck, a stab wound to the chest, a deep cut along her leg. After confirming that both parties were deceased, I left the room as other officers and crime scene technicians entered.

I exited the home and returned to the back of the paramedic, where my partner was checking the child for injuries. The little girl was still sitting on the female officer's lap, and I could hear the officer whispering a lullaby in her ear. The child did not have any outward injuries but was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.

**[End of Summary]**

****This summary has been corroborated by Joshua Lewis - Paramedic.**

**No further paramedic summary required.**

* * *

**HOWARD COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT  
** **Howard County, Maryland  
Homicide Division - Investigative Report  
Case No.** 0642795  
 **Assigned:** Detective Marcus Wells  
 **INCIDENT SUMMARY:** 24 December 1993

 **Medical Examiner Summary  
** **Rebekah Wilcox, M.D.**

 **Summary of Deceased Male  
** **Name:** Everett William Harrington  
 **Cause of Death** Asphyxia by Hanging  
 **Time of Death:** approximately 20:00  
 **Race:** Caucasian  
 **Age:** 39

The male was found hanging by his neck. The hyoid bone had been broken, and the spinal cord severed. There were scratch marks to the face and arms, likely from fingernails being scratched into the skin.

*Toxicology report pending

 **Manner of Death Determination:** Suicide

 **Summary of Deceased Female  
** **Name:** Katya Renee Harrington  
 **Cause of Death:** Exsanguination  
 **Time of Death:** approximately 20:00  
 **Race:** Caucasian  
 **Age:** 37

The female was found sitting at the edge of the bed. The jugular vein and the carotid artery had been severed in a single laceration across the throat. The femoral artery had been cut, and the aorta in the chest had been stabbed. Death would have occurred within minutes. Skin was also found under her nails believed the belong to the deceased male.

*Toxicology report pending

 **Manner of Death Determination:** Homicide

* * *

 **HOWARD COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT  
** **Howard County, Maryland  
Homicide Division - Investigative Report  
Case No.** 0642795  
 **Assigned:** Detective Marcus Wells  
 **INCIDENT SUMMARY:** 24 December 1993

**Detective Summary  
Marcus Wells**

In the evening in question, an emergency call was received from a child stating that there was a "monster in her house." Units arrived on the scene within 10 minutes. The deceased victims, identified as Everett and Katya Harrington, were found in an upstairs bedroom. The female was found at the foot on the bed on the ground with her significant veins cut open. The male was found in the closet hanging, and a large hunting knife was located at his feet. Fingerprints on the hunting knife were confirmed to belong to the deceased male. The blood was a match for the deceased female. A small child was found sitting next to her deceased mother.

There were no signs of forced entry, and it is believed that no others were present in the house at the time of the incident. There were signs of a struggle in the hallway leading into the master bedroom where the victims were found.

The child, 9-year-old Emmaliene Anastasia Harrington, was uninjured but suffering from shock and was transported to the area hospital for further evaluation while CPS was contacted. The child's next of kin was her maternal grandmother, Svetlana Kuznetsov, who is currently living in Moscow. She will be flying into the United States at the first available flight and will take over legal guardianship of the child per the last Will & Testaments of the deceased.

Until Ms. Kuznetsov arrives in the United States, she has granted permission for the child to remain in the care of a close friend to the Harrington family and their neighbor.

Name of the responsible party until Legal Guardian arrival: Alexander Pierce.

 **CASE STATUS: CLOSED**  
CASE RULING: MURDER-SUICIDE  
CLOSURE DATE: 04 JANUARY 1994


	2. Lunch Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the Prologue and here is the next Chapter! I'm sure my notes will become more relevant as the story progresses!   
> XOXO - Presephone

**CONTENT WARNING:** _LUNCH DATE_ contains language and descriptions of violence

* * *

**April 2014 (One week before the fall of the Triskelion)**

Emmaliene's fingers moved in soft circles at her temples as she rested her elbows on the desk. She looked over the documents in front of her and groaned to herself. _I hate tax season_ , she thought. She was meeting with her accountant tomorrow, and she still had no idea what she was looking at as she flipped through the papers. She loved her job, and being a small business owner was everything she could've hope for. But tax season seemed to get more and more complicated as the years progressed.

She knew that there was specific information and questions that she needed to be prepared to answer, and that was stressing her out the most. So she decided to do the most logical thing that she could think of; she pushed her chair out from the desk, leaned back, and looked up at the ceiling. After finding a delightful spot on the ceiling, she began to spin in a circle while thinking about going up to the cabin and pretending the world didn't exist.

The only reason she broke from her daydream of hiking to the lake was because of the annoyingly loud buzz of her cellphone as it danced across her desk. When a second and third buzz followed over the next ten minutes, she sighed heavily and straightened back up in her chair. She sat still for a few seconds while her eyes refocused. She unlocked her phone and saw three new text messages.

_[12:02 pm] Paul: Dude! Did you see the news?!_

_[12:09 pm] Don Corleone: Still on for lunch today? I just left the office and heading your way now._

_[12:15 pm] Paul: Earth to Harrington! Have. You. Seen. The. Insanity. Unfolding?!_

She furrowed her brow and unlocked her laptop. She pulled up a news site and was overwhelmed by startling headlines.

**[11:55 am] BREAKING NEWS: Law Enforcement Responding to Overturned Vehicle on the Freeway**

**[12:00 pm] BREAKING NEWS: Shoot Out Erupts on Freeway**

**[12:07 pm] BREAKING NEWS: Mandatory Shelter-In-Place Order Issued for All Areas Surrounding Shoot Out**

**[12:14 pm] BREAKING NEWS: Public Transit Bus Overturned in Continuing Shoot Out**

**[12:18 pm] BREAKING NEWS: Several Explosions Reported in the Area Surrounding Shoot Out**

Emmaliene watched the live aerial coverage as the helicopter circled the chaos unfolding below. From what she could see, there was someone dressed in all black shooting an automatic weapon at a civilian as he ran through down the street. The civilian through something at the other man and- _Wait,_ her thoughts consumed her, and she moved closer to the laptop screen, _is that Captain America?_

"What the hell is going on?" She whispered to herself. Just as she spoke, the news coverage seemed to zoom in closer to the dueling pair while they engaged in some sort of knife battle. Emmaliene could now clearly see Captain Steve Rogers, but it was the other person that caused a sense of anxiety to spread across her chest. The man was dressed in black tactical gear with a menacing mask covering the bottom half of his face. What caught her eye was seeing that his left arm seemed to shine in the sun. _Why is he wearing body armor on just one sleeve?_ "Who the fuck is that?" She asked a bit louder as Captain Rogers threw the masked man over his shoulder. The man's mask fell to the ground, and the pair seemed to pause mid-fight.

Just as the unknown man started to advance towards Captain Rogers, there was an explosion that filled the street. The sudden blast caused Emmaliene to jump back from her laptop as if she had been thrown back from the flames herself. She ran into something and felt hands instantly grasp her shoulders. She screamed and whipped around, delivering a strike to the assailant directly in the chest. The stranger collapsed to the ground with a startled grunt, and she readied herself to deliver a kick to their stomach.

"Stop!" They almost screamed, "Emmaliene, it's me!"

She paused mid-kick and stared down, and her eyes grew wide as realization dawned. "Fuck!" She dropped to her knee and put her hand on his back, "What the hell are you doing?"

Just as she finished her panicked question, she saw a man run through the doorway. He had a gun drawn when Alexander Pierce quickly raised his hand, "Stand down, Agent Rumlow." His weapon holstered as his boss stood up slowly with Emmaliene. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and offered a weak smile, "Just a misunderstanding."

Guilt seeped into Emmaliene as she watched him take several deep breaths. She wrapped her arms around his waist, "Alex, I'm so sorry!"

He gave a short chuckled, "It's okay, Lienie-bug," he folded his arms around her shoulders. "I knew those kickboxing lessons would help you. I just wasn't expecting a personal demonstration."

"I feel so bad!" She pulled away, "You just scared me."

"What has you so jumpy?"

"This new war zone across town," She turned back around so he could see her laptop screen, " did you hear about this insanity? Captain America is there, and I think I saw a rocket launcher!"

She could feel him walk up behind her. They both stood in silence for several minutes watching fire crews helping people out of the overturned bus and beginning to put out the numerous fires in the area. She glanced behind her and saw that his eyes had grown hard, his jaw was set in a firm line. "Yeah," he spoke softer than expected, "my office has been monitoring the situation, and they're keeping me up to date."

"What is happening?"

"I'm sorry, Lienie," he sighed, "you know I can't tell you."

"I know, I know," she closed the lid to her laptop and put on her jacket, "super-secret government job with super-secret responsibilities for Don Corleone."

He opened the door with a laugh as they walked onto the sidewalk, "Why do you insist on calling me that?" He asked as she locked up the front door.

She climbed into the black SUV, the door being held by the man who almost shot her five minutes before, "Thank you," she muttered. She buckled up and turned to Alex after he had climbed into the other side of the SUV, "I call you that because you're the closest thing that I have to a Godfather. If I'm honest, you're pretty much the closest thing I have to a parent figure at all. So, I am _required_ to provide you with a weird nickname."

He laughed again as the SUV started down the road towards the restaurant, " _Obviously_."

* * *

_Cuore di Bolsena_ is the best Italian restaurant in all of DC in Emmaliene's personal opinion. It was a second location that the Regio family had opened up, the first one being in Bolsena, Italy. She had met the family in Amalfi almost 12 years ago, and they connected immediately. They had kept in touch over the years, and they tried to visit each other as often as they could.

They were escorted to their favorite patio table. The broad umbrella was shading the table perfectly as they sat looking over the city from the corner of the balcony. After a few minutes of sipping their water in silence, the server came to the table with a cheerful tone, " _Ciao! È così bello rivederti!_ (Hello! It's so wonderful to see you!)"

Emmaliene stood up and hugged the young woman, " _Ciao, Lucia. Come Sei stato bene?_ _Come sta la tua Famiglia? (Hello, Lucia. Have you been well? How is your family?)_

_"_ _Molto bene (Very good),"_ Lucia warmly smiled as Emmaliene sat back down, _"Sto programmando di_ visitarli _il mese prossimo, (I am planning on visiting them next month.)"_

"Alright, that's enough, you two," Pierce smiled, "for all, I know you're plotting a jailbreak... again."

Emmaliene laughed again and looked up at Lucia, "You skip town to go to Niagara Falls for the weekend _one time_..."

"Apologies _Signor Pierce_ ," Lucia smiled, "we would never plan such an adventure again."

"Lucia, how many times must I ask you to call me Alexander?" He asked, "I've known you long enough that you are practically a second non-biological daughter."

"I apologize _Sign_ —Alexander," Lucia smiled again, "Do you need some time to look at the menu?" They both shake their heads, and she turns to Pierce to take his order.

He hands the menu over to her, "I'll have the Lemon Shrimp Risotto and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc."

" _Prenderò i ravioli di pollo all'aglio con un bicchiere di zinfandel. (I'll have the Garlic Chicken Ravioli with a glass of Zinfandel.),"_ Emmaliene smiled and handed her menu to Lucia, " _Inoltre, assicurati di ottenere l'assegno senza che lui lo sappia. (Also, make sure I get the check without him knowing.)"_

Lucia walked away, and Emmaliene glanced out at the view of the city. When she looked back, Pierce was watching her. She furrowed her brow and leaned back in her seat, "What?"

"Nothing," he smiled, "I'm just proud of how much you've grown."

"Alex—"

"Wait, let me finish," he cut her off, "with everything that has happened, you've been so strong and resilient. You've always learned and grown from what life has thrown at you, and now here you are; in our nation's capital, running your own business in a field that you're passionate about," Emmaliene just smiled at him as Lucia brought out their orders, "I just wish your parents and _Бабушка (Grandmother)_ could've been here to see the amazing woman you've become."

"I think they are," Emmaliene gave a soft smile, but Pierce noted that it never fully reached her eyes, "not in the way I would've hoped. But, I think, somehow, they're always with me."

* * *

They walked back out of the restaurant, and Emmaliene looked up at him, "So same day next week?"

Pierce sighed, "I can't do lunch next Tuesday we have a… new project launching. How about we do dinner Tuesday night?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

Pierce turned his head slightly as Agent Rumlow leaned over to whisper in his ear. He gave him a short nod and looked back to her, "I'm afraid I have to cut our lunch short, Lienie-bug. Something's come up that I need to address at work."

Emmaliene's face dropped, "I hope everything is okay."

"Nothing that Don Corleone can't handle." Pierce kissed her on the cheek and gave her a quick hug. He gestured behind her, "this other car will take you back."

Without another word, Emmaliene got into the other SUV, and they drove off. As soon as they turned the corner, Pierce turned back to Rumlow, "Where is he?"

"The bank vault," Rumlow replied, "Apparently, there's a problem." Pierce climbed into the back seat, and Rumlow got in on the other side. He noticed that Pierce winced as he buckled his seat belt, "Are you alright?"

"I will be," Pierce explained as the SUV pulled into afternoon traffic, "Call my physician, have him come to my home tonight at 8:00 pm."

"Sir?" Rumlow pushed further.

"I think my sternum may be fractured," Pierce touched the spot where Emmaliene had punched him earlier, "she's getting stronger."


	3. Closing Up & Grilling Steaks

**CONTENT** **WARNING:** _CLOSING UP & GRILLING STEAKS contains strong language._

* * *

**(16 hours before the fall of the Triskelion)**

Emmaliene was stocking the supply closet with some new essential oils that had just come in. Many of her customer's liked different oils with their massages to help relax them. She heard the door open and then close again just as she put the last bottle on the shelf. She started walking to the front, turning lights off as she went, "Hi, we're actually—"

She suddenly stopped when she saw him standing there. "Oh, it's— It's you. Hi."

"Hi," Agent Rumlow stood just on the other side of the small reception desk, "it's good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too. Is Alex okay? He's been pretty hard to reach this week."

"He's doing alright," Rumlow feigned a smile. He knew that Pierce was not doing as well as he was making her believe. After Pierce had startled her, it turned out that not only had his sternum been slightly fractured, but it had also bruised the base of several ribs, "We have that big project launching tomorrow that's taking up most of his time. He asked me to return this to you."

"Thank you," Emmaliene took the jacket that she must've left in the SUV and draped it over her arm, "I wanted to apologize for startling you last week."

"It's alright," Rumlow smiled at her again, "it's part of my job description to be on edge."

"Well, it's comforting to know that Alex has great people looking out for him. For all you knew, I could've been some masked psychopath."

A mischievous glint flashed across his eyes, "I certainly wouldn't want either of you running into any type of… _Masked_ person. It looks like you're just closing up. I hope I'm not keeping you."

"Not at all. I am heading out, though, so I have to lock up."

"I can walk you out if you'd like," he offered.

"That'd be great, give me just a minute."

She went back into her office, closing her laptop and putting it in her messenger bag. She opened her mini-fridge under her desk and grabbed the plastic bag of take-out containers. She pulled her jacket on as she heated up one of the take-out containers in her microwave. Then she turned the light off and closed and locked her office. She walked back out and locked the front door while she smiled up at Rumlow, "We can go out the back door, then I can arm the security system."

"Lead the way."

They walked through the back hallway, and she opened the door leading into the alleyway. She let him go in front of her, and she turned and armed the security system. She locked the door and turned back around to see Agent Rumlow smiling down at her. "It must be rewarding in owning your own business."

"It is," Emmaliene smiled, and they started walking down the red brick alleyway, "it's something I've always loved. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to share that love with people who enjoy getting massages to people who are coming to me as part of an injury rehabilitation routine."

"That's a beautiful way to look at it," he put his hands in his pockets. He noticed that Emmaliene was suddenly untying her plastic bag and reaching in to grab a take-out box. She slowed down as they approached a covered loading dock that seemed to be attached to an abandoned warehouse. She started walking into the loading dock, and he went to follow her until she put a hand on his arm. They looked at each other, and she shook her head just a little bit and turned to continue walking.

"Marjorie?" She called softly, "Marjorie, are you here?"

There was a rustling from under a tarp, and she stopped walking. She looked over to see a grey-haired woman emerge. She wore tattered, dirty clothes, but her face seemed to brighten at the sight of Emmaliene. Her voice was worn when she spoke, "Hello, my sweet angel. How are you?"

Emmaliene smiled as the homeless woman pulled her into a hug, "Well, my day is brighter seeing you, how are you? Is that blanket holding up still?"

"Oh yes, yes… I still can't believe you got me such a thing." Marjorie nodded her head.

"Of course I did, since you _refused_ to let me take you to a shelter, I had to make sure you stayed warm out here. Speaking of which," Emmaliene held the take-out container out in front of her, "A reheated meatball sub sandwich from _Ricardo's_."

Marjorie smiled wide and took the container, "You are too kind, Emmy."

"Never for you, Marj," Emmaliene hugged the woman again, "be safe, okay?"

She walked away and didn't realize Rumlow was staring at her. They kept walking down the alleyway until they came out on the residential road. The street was lined with red brick townhomes, and when she stopped to look at him, she found him already staring down at her, "What?"

"Nothing," He shook his head, "That was just very kind."

She shrugged, "Marjorie has never been anything but sweet to me. One day last summer, she asked me for a few fries, and it just became our thing." they continued walking down the street that was lined with cars, "She calls herself the grandma of the streets. She's always checking in on others in the area, making sure they're okay."

Rumlow nodded as she spoke, "Well, it's amazing." He saw her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she smiled back at him, "I was wondering," he started as they stopped in front of a sleek blue sedan and she opened the passenger door. Putting her messenger bag and coffee thermos on the seat. She turned back and looked at him while he finished his question, "would you want to go out with me on Friday?"

Emmaliene blushed further and tucked a piece of her dark blonde hair behind her ears. She suddenly felt extremely shy as she looked back up at him, "I— Umm…" She stuttered with a smile, "Isn't that a conflict of interest or something with Alex being your boss?"

He smiled wider and placed his hand on her car close to her shoulder, leaning in closer to her, "Our line of work doesn't really work like that. I know, for a fact, that he _will kill me_ if I treat you like anything less than the exceptional woman you are." His other hand softly caressed her cheek, and she shuddered at his warm hand.

She chuckled softly, "Well, in _that_ case, dinner would be great. Do you have a place in mind?"

"I do. There's a little cafe over on Bakersfield Ave. They're featuring a local jazz band at 7 o'clock that night. I thought we could meet there for dinner and some dancing."

"That sounds like a lot of fun. I'll— I'll see you then, Agent Rumlow."

He leaned in closer, and Emmaliene could smell a spicy scent. When he spoke, his lips grazed over her ear, "Call me Brock." He kissed her cheek, barely grazing the side of her mouth. He turned and walked away with a smile and retreated back down the alley they had just exited.

She smiled to herself once more as she climbed into her car. She pulled her phone out of her jacket and saw a missed text message.

_[6:02 pm] Don Corleone: Remind me again… What was I buying for dinner tonight?_

She shook her head and laughed to herself, texting back.

 _[6:09 pm] If you don't bring that homemade potato salad_ again… _I am changing the locks to my house before you can get there._

_[6:10 pm] Don Corleone: Alright, alright... I'll see what I can whip up on my way over. I'll see you soon, Lienie-bug._

_[6:11 pm] Drive safe, Alex… You jerk._

She pulled into the street and began driving towards her townhouse.

* * *

Rumlow smiled to himself and pulled his cellphone from his pocket. He hit the speed dial option and held it up to his ear.

 _"Well?_ Pierce's stern voice answered without any other greeting.

"It's done," he smiled again.

_"When?"_

"Friday night. Dinner and dancing at Sullivan's over on Bakersfield Ave."

There was a long pause before Pierce continued, _"Are you ready for the protocol reset tonight."_

"Yes, sir."

" _Good. No fuck ups. This first test needs to go off without a hitch."_

Rumlow nodded to himself, "Do you want... Should we utilize _him_?"

" _No,"_ Pierce answered sharply, _"not yet."_

"We'll see it done, sir."

 _"Rumlow,"_ There was another pause, _"If she's killed in this test on Friday, your team answers to me."_

The phone disconnected, and Rumlow sighed as he angrily thought to himself, _This bitch better be worth it._

* * *

In many ways, Emmaliene loved running her own business because she can pick her own schedule. A lot of her friends thought she was crazy, not taking three consecutive days off in a row, let alone not taking a weekend night off. She always explained that the weekends were her busiest days because that is when the majority of other people were off work.

She flipped the steaks on the grill and added more seasoning. She walked over to her potted plants around the edge of her small patio and began watering them. She hummed softly to herself when she heard the back door open and close again. "I come in peace," he called from behind her. She turned to see him setting down a covered dish on the patio table and placed his hands in the air in mock surrender, " _Please_ don't attack the bringer of potato salad."

She rolled her eyes and turned around to finish watering her Nemesia flowers, "Fuck you _very much_ , Pierce."

"Hey now," he feigned offense in his voice as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder into a quick hug, "Is that any way to talk to your _favorite_ guardian?"

"Considering you're my _only_ guardian _and_ I'm a grown-ass adult," she put down her watering can, turned around, and arched an eyebrow in his direction, "I'll talk to you however I so choose."

He chuckled as she hugged him again, "Ever the stubborn one... Just like your mother."

Emmaliene gave a soft smile for a moment. She tapped him lightly on the chest and walked past him, "Let me grab you a beer."

"Thanks, I could use one after today." He called as she walked back inside to the kitchen. He subtly rubbed his chest and took a jagged breath. _Damn sternum,_ he thought, _she'll be just as strong as he is once trained_.

He had never intended to develop an attachment to the girl, but she had such an air of innocent sincerity even from a small child. She had a knack for immediately disarming and emanating tranquility around her that is contagious. He knew that this could be a great asset once she was trained. Who would ever expect someone like her to be anything but caring and kind?

_[7:48 pm] Rumlow: 45 seconds_

Pierce put his phone back into his pocket just as Emmaliene closed the door and held the open beer out to him with a smile. He knew what was about to happen, and subtly began to prepare himself. He had experienced this moment with her dozens of times over the years, even if he hadn't always been present for the episode. He offered a warm smile and took a drink from the bottle and set it down on the patio table.

Emmaliene turned back to the grill and flipped the steaks again and turned back around, "I'm really happy you decided to change dinner to tonight. I know that—" She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling like her head had been submerged underwater. She opened her eyes and shot a panicked look at Alex as the patio began to spin around her, " Alex… I— I think I'm—"

Pierce watched as her eyes rolled back into her head, and she began to crumble to the ground. "Emmaliene!" He shouted and caught her before she hit her head on the ground. He held her close and leaned close to her ear, " _Осторожно. Потому что я бесстрашный и поэтому сильный. (Beware. For I am fearless; therefore, I am powerful.)._ "

Her green eyes snapped open and stared emotionless Pierce. He watched her closely for a moment before speaking in a low, stern voice, " _солдат? (Soldier?)_ " The lines of her mouth hardened as her gaze darkened, but, in the next moment, she winced in pain, and her eyes fluttered closed.

* * *

She felt a cool pressure on her forehead as it pounded painfully. She groaned as she rubbed her temple and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Alex sitting on the coffee table in front of her. His brows were knitted together in concern as he held her hand. When they locked eyes, he dropped to his knee and moved some hair out of her eyes. "Welcome back, Lienie," he spoke softly, "you had me scared for a minute there, kiddo."

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes again, "It happened again, didn't it?"

He nodded with a sad expression, "Afraid so."

"I'm sorry," she tried to sit up and clutched her head again. It felt like a jolt of lightning shot through her brain.

He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and helped her sit back against the pillows on the couch. He moved up to the couch and sat next to her, putting a reassuring arm around her, "Emmaliene… Don't you _dare_ apologize. You and I both know that the doctors are still trying to figure out why these fainting spells are happening. We just have to keep hoping they'll figure it out, okay?"

"I know," she folded her legs underneath her and leaned her head onto his shoulder, "it's just getting scary. They're starting to happen more often."

"We'll figure it out… Did you call that specialist I recommended?"

Before Emmaliene could answer, she heard one of her cabinets gasped and quickly turned around, causing another jolt of pain through her head, and she grabbed her head again. Alex squeezed her shoulder again, "It's okay…"

She furrowed her, brow, "Brock?"

The agent nodded at her from the kitchen. He was putting potato salad into one of the Tupperware from her cabinet, and she could already see the grilled steaks sealed up.

Alex stood up and walked into the kitchen, "Agent Rumlow called me not long after you fainted. I told him what happened and he offered to come over and help, I didn't think you'd mind."

"Not at all," She looked at Rumlow, "thank you."

"Of course," Brock smiled as he brought her a cold glass of water, "I hope you're feeling okay."

"I'm better," she took a sip of her water.

"Well, Lienie-bug," Alex spoke up as he cleaned up the rest of her kitchen and walked back over to her, "I need to get going, and I'm sure Agent Rumlow has other things he needs to attend to. And _you_ , my dear, need to get some rest."

She walked the two men to her front door and opened it for them. Rumlow gave her another short nod and went down the steps as Alex turned to her again, "Well, good luck with your big new project launch tomorrow. I'm sure everything will be great."

She couldn't decipher the expression that crossed his face. He watched her solemnly for a minute and then squared his shoulders, placing both of his hands on either side of her face. He looked intently into her eyes, "You know I would do anything for you, right? Anything to keep you safe? I've only ever wanted what was best for you," he pulled her into a close hug and kissed the top of her head, "Never forget that I love you, Emmaliene."

"I love you, too, Alex," She replied, confused at why he was saying these things. Before she could ask him any other questions, he walked down the steps and got into a waiting SUV.

She closed and locked her front door and turned off all of the lights before heading upstairs. She took a long shower and put her hair into two french braids. After pulling herself into bed, she decided to read for a while until her eyes started getting heavy. She turned off her alarm so she could sleep in and closed her eyes.

* * *

The sun was warm on her face as she slowly began waking up. She glanced at her clock and saw that it was already 11:55 am. She groaned at herself. She hated sleeping in late; but, she knew that the days after a fainting spell, she was not particularly productive. She pawed around her blankets for her cellphone and turned it on. For the second time in a week, she found herself bombarded with terrifying headlines.

**[11:05 am] BREAKING NEWS: Helicarriers appear above DC.**

**[11:10 am] BREAKING NEWS: Possible Terrorist Attack Unfolds in the Skies Above DC.**

**[11:15 am] BREAKING NEWS: Several Explosions Reported around SHIELD Headquarters**

_[11:25 am] Don Corleone: No matter what you hear... Remember that I love you, Lienie-Bug._

**[11:45 am] BREAKING NEWS: The Triskelion, Headquarters of SHIELD. Has Fallen**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Are we all thoroughly creeped out by Rumlow yet? Until next time!   
> XOXO-Presephone


	4. First Impressions Are Important

** CONTENT WARNING ** _FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT contains language and violence_

* * *

**(Two weeks after the fall of the Triskelion)**

Every subtle shift to the environment had him on edge, and he found himself almost continually reaching for the side pocket of the black bag. Of course, the weapons in the bag were a last resort. As he walked down the street, he currently had a small pistol strapped to each ankle, a Glock 19 strapped to his back, and two Desert Eagles in the bag. Besides, he had daggers of varying sizes hidden throughout the pockets of his cargo pants and jacket.

After the helicarrier, he had cleared out a nearby safe house to gather as many supplies as he was able to carry. He knew that he couldn't stay in the same place for too long. What remained of HYDRA would surely be coming after him.

He had failed his mission.

That justified whatever punishment they saw fit before they would put him back into that chamber.

He knew that he had failed. But why did it feel like he had unknowingly started another mission? Was that man from the helicarrier, right? Had he been someone else before becoming the Asset? He had so many conflicting feelings coursing through him that he needed to refocus his brain and form a strategy for this new self-assigned mission.

He had been to the exhibit at the Smithsonian several times that showed him ghosts from a past he didn't remember. He returned every day, hoping that something would click, but the truth still felt just out of reach.

The past week didn't cause him as much stress as the one before. He had assimilated into the homeless community around DC until he could determine what his next course of action should be. He turned a corner to head down an alley when he saw several men standing around a part of the wall. As he walked closer, trying to keep his distance, he heard several jeers.

"Come on; you don't need _all_ of that shit, do ya?"

"You're gonna die on these streets soon, anyways."

"You'll die even faster if you don't help us out."

He glanced through the men to see an older woman crouched on the ground. She had a black eye and a cut across the top of her eyebrow. The woman had been hit recently, and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"Leave her alone," he muttered.

The men barely acknowledged his presence as they looked at him and laughed. He watched quietly as one of the men pushed the woman back down against the wall, and another moved to kick her.

The man who had lifted his foot to strike the woman found himself being pulled backward and slamming into the opposite wall of the alley. The others turned around to see the unconscious body behind the other man, who had straightened to his full height. His messy dark hair shadowed his face, but they could see the pure hatred in his gaze.

"I said," When he spoke again, his voice was low and dangerous, " _Leave her alone_."

The other men quickly turned and ran, abandoning their unconscious friend. He watched them turn the corner out of his sight. His hands clenched at his side, and it took an extreme amount of restraint not to follow them and give them the beating that they justly deserved. He slowly unclenched his fist with a deep breath and turned back to retrieve his bags. After he looped the bags over his shoulders, he put his hood back on and began walking down the alley.

"Thank you."

The soft voice stopped him in his tracks, and he turned to look at the older woman. She had stood up and was slowly walking over to where he was. _Thank you?_ Why would she be thanking him? He just threw a man against a wall in front of her, and he had wanted to do worse to the others who fled.

His musings were interrupted by a wrinkled hand looping into the crook of his right arm, causing him to freeze. He looked down to see the older woman's worn eyes smiling up at him. He seemed to lose the strength in his voice again and spoke in a muttered tone, "No cause for thanks, ma'am." _Ma'am?_ He hadn't used that term since… Since _before_.

"What a humble young man," the woman chuckled as she started walking down the rest of the alley, "You saved me from those bastards— pardon my language." He followed the strange woman's lead, unsure why he was allowing himself to be guided by someone who could easily be a HYDRA agent. His uncomfortable glances went unnoticed as the woman continued, "now, my name is Marjorie… What's your name?"

He paused briefly at the question. _Bucky, you've known me your whole life… Your name is James Buchanan Barnes…_ The voice of Steve Rogers echoed in his head. His throat suddenly felt dry, and he found himself unable to speak. He hadn't been asked his name in so long that it suddenly felt foreign and oppressive on his tongue.

Marjorie noticed his hesitation and patted his hand. "That's alright, son." She glanced down and saw a piece of paper sticking out with the same thing written continuously, "What does that mean?"

He followed her gaze to the folded paper. He shifted uncomfortably but continued to walk with her, "It's my… My initials."

Marjorie smiled and looked back to the street, "Well, how about you walk a sweet old lady back to her tent, JB?"

* * *

Emmaliene was done answering the same questions over and over for the last two weeks. First, it was the local DC police, then the FBI, followed by the CIA. Now she just finished a video call with INTERPOL. If she had to talk with one more accronymed agency, she was going to pull all of her hair out.

She had canceled her non-essential appointments for the next month, so she only had two appointments a day. She needed time to process everything that had happened. She decided to take the day off from clients to clean and reorganize.

Now she stood in the middle of her office, holding the framed picture in her hand, feeling so many mixed emotions. It was the day that she opened her business. She and Alex were standing in front of her brownstone building, his armed wrapped around her shoulders in a tight embrace. Her smile was full, and Alex was looking down at her.

 _He looked so proud of me,_ she thought. Emmaliene felt a pang in her chest as she took the picture out of the frame. She pulled out a lighter that she used for her incense and took one more look at the picture that was once one of her favorites. _How many people had he killed at this point?_ She lit the edge of the picture on fire and dropped it on her desk. She watched it burn until there was nothing but ash, and she brushed it off into the trash can.

Without another look, she grabbed her food containers from the microwave and turned the lights off in her building. After locking everything up and setting the alarm, she began walking down the back alley towards her car. She came upon the loading dock and smiled to herself as she heard the rummaging of a tarp.

"Hey Marj," Emmaliene called, "I hope you're hungry for—"

An arm suddenly wrapped around her throat and began to tighten. Immediately her hands gripped the forearm; she leveraged all her weight while pulling down on the arm and flipped the attacker over her shoulder. She held onto the assailant's right arm behind their back as she pressed her foot into the back of their neck.

She only had half a second before she felt a tight grip around her left ankle, and she quickly hit her head on the cold cement. She grabbed at the hand that was latched around her neck and saw a gloved left hand, ready to strike.

"STOP!"

Emmaliene and her attacker both turned to see a panic-stricken Marjorie standing on the outside of her makeshift tent. The elderly woman raised a shaking hand, "JB, let her go. She's my friend."

Emmaliene looked back up and met a piercing gaze of steel blue. Tendrils of dark brown hair hung down in his face, but she could see the hard set of his stubbled jaw and the thin line of his mouth.

He hesitated a moment longer before lowering his left arm and releasing her throat. He leaned back onto his heels, so he was no longer straddling her waist and stood up. Emmaliene took in a deep breath as air rushed back into her lungs. She stared up at the metal covering the loading dock for a while before she rose again to her feet.

The man's gaze was still locked onto her, and she couldn't make out the multitude of expressions on his face. _Confusion? Intrigue?_ Returning his hard gaze, she knew this was not someone who's bad side she would want to find herself.

She turned her attention back to her friend and instantly felt panic, "Marjorie! What happened?" She rushed over to her and tilted her head to the side so she could see her black eye more clearly.

"Oh, nothing, Emmy." Marjorie tried to downplay her appearance.

"Marj, this isn't _nothing_ ," she insisted, "what happened?"

Marjorie shrugged, "Some thugs tried to bully me. JB here got them to leave me alone and was kind enough to escort me back."

Emmaliene looked back to the man who hadn't moved, "Thank you," she muttered, and he offered her a quick nod and looked away. "Marj, you need to come back to my office so I can clean this cut," she noticed the older woman beginning to object but cut her off, "and I'm _not_ taking no for an answer. I will throw you over my shoulder if needed."

JB smirked quickly but returned to his stoic expression when the two women turned and began walking in his direction. _She's the second person to thank me today; he_ thought as he examined the younger woman, Emmy. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back in a braid except for a few stray curls that shaped around her face. Her green eyes lit up in the sunlight as she stepped out from the covered loading dock, and she turned to look at him.

"You're welcome to come with us, JB." She spoke softer as she continued leading the older woman down the alley.

He silently followed her to a locked back door. He flinched when he heard an alarm go off until he realized that it was an alert system inside the building they had just entered. He followed her down a long, dark hallway that opened up into a lobby.

"Alright, Marj," her voice lilted into his ear again, "take this rag. Go in the bathroom and wipe off that dried blood with warm water and then come to my office."

The older woman took the rag and disappeared into a restroom. He watched Emmy unlock another door that opened up into an office. He silently followed behind her until he was hovering in the doorway. She stood on her tiptoes and opened a cabinet door that seemed to be filled with medical supplies. She grabbed a first aid kid and turned, promptly dropping it and clutching her chest.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed breathlessly, "You know how to give a girl a heart attack." She picked up the first aid kit and set it on her desk, opening it up and removing some bandaids.

"Sorry," JB mumbled and shifted uncomfortably, "where did you learn?"

Emmaliene turned around with a confused expression, "Learned what?"

He took a step closer, "To fight. Where did you learn?"

"Oh," she sighed, "I take kickboxing and jiu-jitsu classes."

 _Lies_ , he thought as he examined her carefully, _mundane classes can't train someone to flip and pin me_. "Impressive," he responded, faking sincerity, "I'm glad Marjorie called out before I punched you."

He watched as she scoffed lightly and spoke, "Yeah, me too. But, I can _almost_ guarantee," she looked up at him with a smirk, "Your punch wouldn't have landed."

 _Who the fuck are you?_ He asked himself. _Could she be one of them?_ "Marjorie said your name was Emmy?"

"Emmaliene," she corrected, "But everyone calls me Emmy or Emm."

"Never Lienie?" He tried to joke.

Her eyes snapped up to his, and her face suddenly turned grave and paled, "No." 

_Is he one of them?_ She thought to herself. No one other than Alex had used that nickname.

JB didn't have time to respond because Marjorie walked into the office, and Emmaliene's face softened. She led the older woman to a chair and handed her a container. "Now, you eat this and pay no attention to me."

Before she started, she picked up the second container and held it out to JB, "Here. You can have this one."

JB hesitantly grabbed the container to learn that it was warm. He opened the lid to see a meatball sub sandwich. He quietly ate as he watched her work. She rubbed some ointment onto the cut and placed several butterfly bandaids on it.

"How are you doing, dear?" Marjorie asked, "Didn't you have a relative die in that nasty SHIELD business a few weeks ago?"

JB's head snapped up from his sandwich again, almost dropping the container. Emmaliene's face had grown sad as she nodded her head.

"They were the closest thing I had to family," she spoke somberly, "I'm doing okay... It's just been a stressful couple of weeks."

"I'm sure it has, sweetie," Marjorie took the young woman's hand, "but you're strong. You can make it through anything."

"I'm sorry," JB whispered, and he and Emmaliene locked eyes once again, "for your loss."

* * *

Emmaliene poured the remainder of the bottle of wine into her glass and checked all the doors again to make sure they were locked. She turned off all the lights except by the entryway and made her way upstairs.

"Weird fucking day," she mused as she crawled under the blankets and turned on her bedside lamp. She finished off her glass of wine as she finished reading the news from the day. As sleep slowly began to creep its way into her veins, she flipped off her light and burrowed further into her blankets.

An hour after her steady breathing had filled the room, the closet door silently opened. He stepped into the bedroom and watched her sleep for a long moment, his metallic arm glinting in the moonlight.

 _A weird fucking day indeed,_ he thought, _Let's find out who you_ really _are, Emmaliene._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a memorable first introduction for our duo! I hope you are enjoying the story thus far!  
> XOXO - Presephone


	5. Emmaliene's No-Good, Very Bad 24 Hours

**CONTENT WARNING** _EMMALIENE'S NO-GOOD, VERY BAD 24 HOURS_ contains language.

* * *

Emmaliene had suffered another fainting spell.

Once again, she was looking at her phone and the dozens of news articles about the collapse of SHIELD and a seditious, top-secret organization called HYDRA. Who, allegedly, had been instrumental in over 50 years of destructive covert operations, including assassinations, rebellion uprisings, and trying to create and control enhanced people. She read that the Avenges, the group who had helped save New York after the invasion, considered HYDRA their most significant enemy.

Which she found odd because the Avengers were overseen by SHIELD… Who had been infiltrated and effectively destroyed from within by HYDRA. The same man has led both organizations; a man who, up until a month ago, Emmaliene had considered her surrogate father. A man she would've trusted with her life.

She was coming back in from her small balcony after watching the sunset over the Potomac. She had her glass of wine that she was finishing when the underwater sensation sunk into the back of her head. She tried to rush over to her bed so she could lay down before passing out, but she didn't make it in time. When she woke up, darkness had filled the room, and the wind was driving the rain into her bedroom. She winced as she lifted her head off the floor and slowly opened her eyes.

She groaned as she gripped her temple and slowly sat up. She could feel a heated spot on her cheek, and when she took her hand away from her face, she felt warm liquid on her fingertips. She looked around and saw the outline of her wine glass tipped over on the carpet, "Well, that stain is never coming out," she sighed heavily and dropped her head.

She stood up slowly and waited until she felt balanced before she walked over to the balcony door and closed the door, securing the lock. After picking up the glass, she walked into her bathroom and flipped the light on, grimacing as she looked at her reflection. There was a small cut under her eye with bruising starting to form.

She walked lazily down the stairs and shuffled her way into the kitchen. She washed the wine glass and filled it with cold water, letting it slip down her throat. She placed the glass on the drying rack and turned and rested her hands against the island countertop. She leaned forward and lowered her head, sighing heavily. "I have to figure this out…"

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the glass breaking. She looked around the darkened house and saw one of her curtains dancing around in the wind. She saw the rain beginning to pool on the carpet. She walked over to see if the wind and rain had caused something to break through her window. She reached to move the curtain aside when she felt the shard sink into her foot.

"Shit!" She lost her balance and fell to the ground. As she caught her fall, another shard cut into the palm of her hand, " _Fuck!_ "

She sat back and reached to turn on the lamp next to the bookshelf. Light flooded the room, and she got to her feet, already resigned to the fact that she would be cleaning blood out of her carpet. She opened the curtain and found that the screen had blown out of the window. She picked up the screen and brought it inside the house, closing the window. She wasn't going to put it back in place case the storm wasn't finished. She looked down to see where the glass had come from and froze. Her heart dropped, and the familiar feeling of loss crept into her mind. She picked it up and held the frame in her hand.

" _Slow down!"_

_But Emmaliene was too excited as she ran through the suite to the open doors that led onto the balcony. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked out onto the breathtaking view of the Amalfi coast. She gripped the railing and smiled wide. She closed her eyes as the warm coastal wind blew threw her hair. Her eyes flickered back open as she felt him stand next to her._

" _Thank you," she spoke softly, "for this trip. I know you're busy with work."_

_"You know I'm never to busy for you LIenie-Bug" Alex nudged her with his shoulder, "Besides, how am I supposed to spoil you for your 18th birthday?"_

_She chuckled to herself, "Most girls just wish for a car."_

" _Well, you are no ordinary girl," Alex looked back out to the ocean, "You have no idea how special you are, Emmaliene. You're going to change the world."_

" _Signor Pierce?" They both turned to see the villa manager standing by the doors, "Do you need any other assistance?"_

" _Yes," Alex smiled and removed a camera from his bag, "Could you take a picture for us?"_

* * *

When she had first collapsed, he wasn't sure what course of action to take. She could be faking to draw him out. It was a lot of dedication to take a hit to the face as she had, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. When she didn't move for fifteen minutes, he decided to check on her.

He tentatively approached and watched her closely for any sign of movement. When he crouched down, he moved her onto her side and saw the injury to her cheek. It was far enough below her eye that there shouldn't be any vision injuries. He ran his right thumb over her cheek to check for a broken bone. He didn't feel any bones out of place and guessed she would just have a bruise around the cut.

After he confirmed that she would be live, he set about his task—the door to the basement.

If she were HYDRA, surely the confirmation he needed would be behind that door. He had almost missed it on his first sweep through the house. He only noticed it because of the books. There was nearly an entire row of duplicates that seemed to reflect the light of his flashlight differently. They were almost glossy, and when he pulled one of the books off, he found that it was attached to the back of the shelf by a wire. Looking at the rest of the book, he noted that it wouldn't open, just a hollowed-out replica from the weight. When he looked at the spine of the book, he noticed a small circular button on one of the letters of the book.

He looked at all the other books on the shelf. Looking at the other duplicated books, he realized that all of them were the same as the first. In all, there were eleven books with buttons.

_A, T, V, R, S, O, E, T, R_

It was an anagram of some kind, so determining what the word was would be the hardest part. He would need to spend some time working on the anagram or try and find a way to override the lock. If he didn't break the code within a week, he would punch his way through, but he couldn't risk that until it was a last resort. After all, he had no idea who she was, what she was capable of, or what was behind the door.

He had turned to go back upstairs when something on one of the shelves caught his eye. He felt a rush of pure rage rise in his chest as he stared into the smiling face of the man who had him brainwashed, tortured, and ordered him to kill a man who had once been his best friend. Next to him stood a younger Emmaliene, but her green eyes were unmistakable.

He could go back upstairs and kill her while she's still unconscious; or, he could use this to his advantage. Continue to watch her until he can make a move to take her and _extract_ information regarding HYDRA and what they may be planning now that the Triskelion has fallen.

Before he could continue his plan further, he heard soft steps coming down the stairs, and he moved towards one of the windows, sliding it open as he saw a silhouette move in front of the curtain he stood behind. He maneuvered silently through the window and realized too late that he still held the photograph. He decided to make it appear that the wind dropped the frame off the shelf; but, when he moved to set the frame back behind the curtain, he overcalculated and the picture shattered on the crowd. He made a quick retreat to a nearby tree and heard several muffled shouts from the window, followed by a light turning on and the curtains opening.

He watched as she brought the screen into the house and closed the window, he noted that there was blood dripping from her palm and down her arm. He watched as she stopped, most likely seeing the broken picture. Her body language shifted, and he watched as she stared at the photo for several minutes.

Her face twisted into a troubled expression, then he was surprised when she screamed and threw the picture across the room. Her eyes grew full with another emotion that he couldn't pinpoint, seeming to be some combination of anger and grief.

* * *

The rain came down in sheets as Emmaliene walked down the alley. The last ten hours had not been kind, and she just wanted to get some administrative things out of the way. She already had planned on taking today off and, after the fainting spell last night; she was in no mood to work.

She fumbled for her keys as she got closer to the back door of her building when they slipped out of her hand, and she felt them splash into an ever-growing puddle of rain. She looked down at the keys and closed her eyes, "Of course that would happen."

When she opened her eyes again, she yelled, " _Shit!_ Seriously, JB… Am I going to have to tie a bell around your neck?"

He stood there in his jacket and baseball cap looking at her with an unreadable gaze, "You dropped these."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just been a bad morning." She took the keys from him with a soft smile, "Do you want to come inside for some coffee?"

He slightly shook his head, and his wet, dark hair stuck to the side of his face, "I don't want to bother your customers."

"I don't have any clients today, and I insist this rain is ridiculous. I can make a cup for you and Marj." She turned and unlocked the door, stepping inside to disarm the security system that started blaring. She looked back to see JB still standing in the rain, watching her, "Come on, I insist."

He watched her for another moment and then tensed his jaw with a short nod and walked inside, "Marjorie isn't here. She said she was going to a shelter nearby to read to kids." He looked at her left hand that had been wrapped in a small bandage, "What happened to your hand?"

"Oh, I broke a picture frame and sliced my hand a bit," She locked the door behind them, and they walked down the dark hallway and into her office, "That sounds like Marjorie. I know she loves looking after the kids at the shelters," Emmaliene dropped her bag by the side of her desk and hooked her raincoat on the back of the door. "Come on in, have a seat. You must be soaked to the bone, feel free to take your jacket off."

"I'm okay," JB replied, opting only to unzip his jacket as he sat in the comfortable chair. He watched as she busied herself with brewing two cups of coffee. She pulled two large mugs from under the coffee cart, along with what looked like sweeteners and creamer, "so what exactly is your line of work?"

"I'm a massage therapist," she called over her shoulder as she filled both mugs with the steaming liquid and placed them on the saucers. She set one in front of JB and then set the other on her desk. She turned and grabbed the cream and sweetener, placing it in front of them before sitting down in her desk chair, "I work primarily with clients dealing with other types of physical therapy or rehabilitation and have massage therapy as a part of their recovery plan. But I also have a few appointments a week who just want your typical relaxing massage."

He picked up the coffee cup, and he knew that she hadn't slipped anything into it because he had watched her the entire time. He took a sip of the coffee and watched as she poured a very liberal amount of cream into her cup, "How long have you been open?"

"About two years," Emmaliene took a drink of her coffee and closed her eyes. Seemingly enjoying that initial sip."Before that, I worked at a spa in Manhattan for five years."

JB nodded with another sip from his mug, "Did you grow up in New York?"

"I moved there when I was nine with my _Nonna (Grandma)_. Before that I lived in Maryland," She took another long drink and crossed her legs, "What about you?"

He hesitated, twisting his coffee mug in his hand. How much should he tell her? If she is HYDRA, she would probably know all of this information. On the other hand, if he could extract the information he needed from her, he would be able to take care of her in a more permanent manner. "I was born and raised in Brooklyn."

"How wonderful!" Emmaliene smiled, "I haven't been to Brooklyn in probably ten years. Do you get back to visit?"

"No," he said a little softer, "I haven't been back in a long time…"

That sat in silence for a long time drinking their coffee. Emmaliene looked out the window to watch the cars drive by in the downpour. What she didn't see was JB watching her closely, waiting for the smallest sign that she was onto him. He snapped his head at the sound of a door closing before looking back to Emmaliene. Her coffee mug was halfway lifted to her lips when she froze. Her gaze was fixed on the doorway, and he saw a flicker of fear behind her eyes as she set her mug back onto her desk.

"JB," she whispered and glanced over to him. He met her eyes and furrowed his brow, "please, quietly go into the corner."

JB would've laughed at the unusual request if it hadn't been for how pale she had gone. He set his coffee down and silently moved to the corner, gripping the handle of his knife in one of his cargo pants pockets. He tensed further as he watched Emmaliene pull a Ruger LC9S 9mm from her bag.

She looked up at him with a sad expression, "I'm sorry, all the doors into here should be locked." She moved to the doorway of her office and glanced out into the lobby, "Hello?" They both held their breath waiting for a reply. When she moved to step into the lobby, she felt a hand grab her arm, and she whipped around.

JB was now standing directly behind her with his finger at his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. They both stepped into the lobby, looking around to see any signs of disturbance. Emmaliene flipped on the lights and saw nothing out of place anywhere until she turned down the back hallway.

At the end of the hallway by the back exit was a large white envelope. She crept towards the door, not moving her eyes from the envelope. She knelt and set her gun on the floor. She stared at the writing on the front in confusion.

**— _EMMALIENE ANASTASIA HARRINGTON —_**

**_Read Thoroughly: For the Safety of Everyone_ **

Her fingers trembled as she gripped the edges of the envelope. _What the hell is this?_ She questioned. No one knew her middle name; she never liked anyone having her full name for her protection. She couldn't risk anyone using it against her.

"Emmaliene?"

He saw her crouched down at the end of the hall, holding a large white envelope. _Why the fuck is she touching a mysterious package?_ He almost shouted in his head. Does _she have no self-preservation whatsoever?_

She slowly stood up, carrying the envelope and the gun back down the hallway with her. She moved silently back to her office and didn't even pay attention to JB. She stowed the gun back into the holster and placed the bag onto her desk. She grabbed the letter opener and sliced the top of the envelope open, and a dossier followed by a small yellow notebook fell onto the desk.

She picked up the dossier and saw that the cover was black with a red emblem emblazoned onto the front. The symbol of HYDRA. Below the symbol was the following title:

**[PROJECT ATHENA]**

She dropped the dossier as if it had burned her and lurched eyes were wide with terror as the skull stared back up at her. She looked up to see that JB had both of his fists clenched, his eyes fixed on the dossier. She sucked in a ragged breath and stepped forward. She grabbed the dossier and notebook and slipped them into her messenger bag.

"JB," Emmaliene's voice shook. When JB looked up at her again, his eyes had gone hard, and she couldn't read his expression, "I'm sorry, JB. But I need to go home."

* * *

She drove around for hours with the dossier burning a hole in her bag. She had no idea what to think or do. Should she call the feds? Just turn it over and be done with it? She didn't know what she was going to do, but she did know that she could use a stiff drink and drove home just as the sun was setting. The rain had finally stopped and she slowly walked into the house and locked the front door behind her. She walked into the kitchen, put her bag on the counter, and immediately walked over to her liquor cabinet. She grabbed a tumbler and her bottle of 25-year-old Macallan Scotch. She drank it very rarely. It had been a 21st birthday present from her _Nonna (Grandma)_.

She filled the tumbler with a little more than she probably should have, but it had been an extremely bizarre and frustrating 24 hours. She put the Scotch back into the cabinet and went to sit on her couch. When she turned around, her heart jumped into her throat, and fear flooded her veins. The tumbler full of Scotch shattered across the kitchen floor, but she hardly noticed.

Standing in front of her bookshelf was someone she had just assumed to be gone after the Triskelion. She had seen his name and images of him over the last month attached to several news articles, but why was he in her house?

At first, she wasn't even sure it was him until a passing car illuminated his features. In that glimpse of light, she saw all that she needed to confirm her suspicion. He wore all black and had an assortment of guns and knives strapped to his person. The black mask covered the bottom half of his face, and his hollow, empty eyes stared at her as if this were any ordinary situation. What confirmed her suspicion further was when his left arm glinted against the harsh light, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Y ** _—_** You ** _—_** You're the Winter Soldier."


	6. Stability Isn't Always Stable

**CONTENT WARNING** _ST_ _ABILITY ISN'T ALWAYS STABLE_ contains violence and language

* * *

He walked through the door and took his jacket off, draping it over the nearby chair. He had intended to deliver the envelope to Emmaliene in person and thoroughly explain the contents, but he had been stunned to see that she wasn't alone entering her building. He knew that Barnes had survived the helicarrier crash, but thought that he'd be halfway around the world.

_Why would the Winter Soldier still be in DC and with Emmaliene Harrington?_

_Did he know about her connection to Pierce?_

_Was he going to finish the mission of Project Athena?_

It took a lot of self-control not to pull Emmaliene out of there and get her to a safer location. But he didn't know what the Soldier wanted with her, and he couldn't risk her getting caught in the crossfire. He would go back to the building in the morning and talk with her. See if he could get her to go into protective custody before someone else figured out their plan. Until then, he'd ask for a few agents to watch her house the rest of the day and tonight. He pulled out his phone and pressed the speed dial button. It only got halfway through the first ring when he answered.

"Hey, it's me," Sam sighed heavily, "Listen, Cap... We have a situation."

* * *

The silence was deafening as Emmaliene'e stared into the Winter Soldier's apathetic gaze, and she felt her knees begin to shake. His hands were in fists at his sides as he watched her. She had a million questions; however, her fear silenced any sound that tried to cross her lips. How the fuck am I going to get out of this? Her eyes glanced at her bag, knowing that her gun was holstered just inside the flap.

She looked back up to find the Winter Soldier had taken several steps towards her causing her to jerk backward, hitting her back against the counter. She felt the edge of her drying rack, and she suddenly remembered the knives she had cleaned that morning. He was still standing by the couch, so if she moved fast enough, she should be able to make it to her bag in time.

She spun around quickly, grabbed the three knives, and completed her spin while launching two in the direction of the masked intruder who had started towards her. She didn't wait to see if the blades hit their mark as she lunged for her bag. Quickly pulling the strap over her head, she ran down the hall towards the front door. She reached for the handle but immediately felt arms wrap around her chest, pinning her arms to her side.

She felt her feet leave the ground as she was thrown over a metal encased arm and slammed into the floor, splintering several wooden boards on impact. Before she could catch a breath, she felt a vice-like hand grasp her throat and heave her back up before throwing her face-first into the wall. She felt that same cold hand squeeze the back of her neck as he stepped closer behind her.

"What do you want?!" Emmaliene pleaded as she struggled against him.

"What's behind the bookshelf?" He asked in an almost disinterested tone.

" _What_?" Emmaliene questioned.

"Don't make me ask twice," he warned

"It's… It's nothing important to anyone but me," she tried to explain, but felt his hand tighten on the nape of her neck, "Okay, okay! It's a panic room."

"How long have you been a HYDRA agent?" He pushed further.

"What?!" She almost shouted, "I'm not with—"

"How do you know Alexander Pierce?" He interrupted, his voice growing louder as his patience thinned.

"He— He was one of my legal guardians. I've known him since I was a child." Emmaliene began to explain her voice beginning to quiver. _No_ , she lectured herself; you _will not cry in front of this asshole_. "I swear, I didn't know what he was involved in. I don't know anything. Please…"

There was a brief pause in the interrogation as he considered her words. He could tell when people were lying to him, but for some reason, he couldn't get a handle on her, "What is Project Athena?"

"I don't—"

"Don't lie!" He shouted, pulling her back and slammed her into the wall again. Before her head fully connected with the wall, she threw it back into his face and heard him grunt, but his grip around the back of her neck only tightened.

"That was incredibly stupid," he seethed.

"Then you're gonna hate this."

She immediately plunged her third knife into his leg. He released her as he cursed in another language, and she took the chance to swing her elbow around to connect with the side of his head. She turned further towards him and delivered a swift kick to his chest, launching him almost into the middle of her front room.

With no time to marvel at how she was able to kick so hard, she bolted up the stairs in hopes of getting a locked door between the two of them. With only a few steps left to go, she felt a hand grip around her ankle and pull her backward. She landed hard, her forehead connecting with the top stair. She kicked her foot outward and felt him catch it as he flipped her onto her back.

"Stop fighting!" He ordered, trying to regain control of the situation.

"FUCK YOU!" She shouted and delivered another swift kick to his face that seemed to disorient him long enough to wriggle free and finish her sprint to the laundry room.

She locked the door, followed by the deadbolt. She unplugged the washing machine and pulled it over, so it was in front of the door. After doing the same with the dryer, she looked down at the trap door that led below. This was all a great contingency plan, but now that she was putting into action, she began questioning everything. The first blow to the door shook her from her temporary stupor, and she quickly bent down and entered the PIN and unlocked the door. Once she was on the ladder, she closed the door overhead and locked it just as she heard the laundry room door beginning to splinter.

She descended the ladder as quickly as she could without causing further injury to herself. She turned on the lights to the panic room and made her way to the small safe. She pressed her fingers into the keypad, and the little metal door popped open.

She pulled a second Ruger LC9S and strapped the small holster to her ankle. After it was secured, she strapped the second holster around her thigh and slid the Glock 19 into place. Her hand slightly trembled as she grabbed the small vial attached to the silver chain. She knew that it was her absolute last resort, but she couldn't afford to not have it with her. She looped the chain over her neck and tucked it under her hoodie and shirt.

Very last, she pulled out the burner phone and brought it to life. She dialed the only number programmed, and it was answered on the second ring.

 _"Signorina Harrington?"_ The man answered, sounding surprised.

 _"Le rose sono morte (The roses have died)."_ Emmaliene panted.

 _"Dammi tre ore per sistemare una macchina. (Give me three hours to arrange a car)"_ He replied.

 _"No. Hai un'ora. (No. You have one hour.)"_ She stated with no intention to negotiate.

_"Lo vedrò fatto. (I'll see it done.)"_

Without another word, she dropped the phone to the ground and crushed it under her boot. She didn't bother closing the safe; she knew that she wouldn't be coming back to this house. She took one more deep breath and walked up the short staircase and turned on the infrared camera. There weren't any heat signatures registering, and it looked like her front door had been opened. Did he leave, or is this a trap? She flipped through her cameras around the outside of the townhome as well as the other cameras inside.

Nothing.

The feeling in the pit of her stomach said that if she didn't leave right now, she never would, and at this point, her gut instinct was the only thing she could trust.

She places her hand against the steel door, and the sensors register her handprint causing the door to pop open silently. She takes one final breath and steps into her living room. She moves as quiet as she can, not knowing what may be lurking in the shadows around her.

She reached the end of the hallway and saw her front door open, letting in the warm summer air. She broke into a sprint and dreaded the possibility that the cold metal of a hand would wrap around her. She reaches her front step and jumps them two at a time as she runs frantically to her car. She was surprised that she reaches her car and jerks the door open. The car starts, and she raced away from her house and down the street.

* * *

After he had broken through the laundry room door, he pushed the washer and dryer out of his way and stood over the trap door. Who the fuck is this girl? He bent over and ripped the trap door from its hinges and dropped it on top of the dryer. His feet fell silently on the rungs of the ladder but paused before he reached the bottom.

_"Le rose sono morte (The roses have died)."_

_"No. Hai un'ora. (No. You have one hour.)"_

_One hour?_ He listened closer, _is she requesting an extraction?_ He heard something shatter, and her soft footsteps ascend stairs, and he dropped quietly to the ground and stepped into a darkened corner. He could follow her to the extraction point and eliminate multiple HYDRA agents and determine where their new base is located.

He watched her observing several infrared camera monitors that seemed to be placed all around the home. He held his breath and looked around the panic room and was relieved not to see any within his gaze. Her hand pressed into the door, and he saw a green light emanate from underneath her fingers. The door popped open, and she bolted from the entrance.

After several seconds he calmly followed her from the panic room. As he passed the door, he noted that it had to be, at least, two feet of solid steel. He heard her car start, and he jogged to the front door just in time to see her speeding away.

He sighed heavily and sprinted to where he had hidden the motorcycle.

* * *

She tore her office apart, how could she have been so stupid? She had intended to move them to her car ever since the Triskelion. Of course, between the dozens of law enforcement interviews and trying to pretend she hadn't been the semi-goddaughter to a man running a top-secret mass murder group, she had been a little distracted.

She ripped the bottom drawer out of the desk and threw all the paperwork, and she found what she was looking for. She opened the small clutch-sized bag to reveal two burner phones and $10,000 cash. She quickly closed the clutch and shoved it into her messenger bag. She reached up under her desk and grabbed the long cylindrical canister, and shoved it into the front pocket of her hoodie as she draped the bag back across her chest. She exited the back door and turned to run back to her car when she skidded to a stop.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" She dropped her head back in exasperation, "Who the fuck are you?!"

In front of her, two large SUVs blocked the exit with their high beams almost blinding her. She squinted as a figure stepped forward. He didn't appear armed, but that didn't mean anything.

"Miss Harrington?" He called, "I have orders to bring you into protective custody."

"Orders?" She repeated, "Who from?"

The man squared his shoulders, "HYDRA."

"Of course," Emmaliene mumbled to herself and then called out louder, "Didn't you guys, literally, crash and burn about a month ago?"

"A minor inconvenience, Miss Harrington." He replied, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"Minor?" She scoffed, "HYDRA is now the poster child for _'most epic failures of all time.'_ When people say 'go big or go home'... You are the example of _'go big.'_ "

"Miss Harrington," the man started to sound annoyed, "I must insist you relinquish your firearms and accompany me."

"Well, I insist that you get the fuck out of my way because I am sick of being pushed around tonight," Emmaliene drew the gun from her thigh holster, and she heard the safety of several firearms hidden by darkness click off.

"Woah, _Woah_ ," a voice called from next to one of the SUVs. A second figure stepped into the light and offered a mischievous smile, "There's no need for violence, Lienie."

"Brock?" She asked incredulously as she looked at the scarred man in front of her. She took several steps back, and the two men reflected her movement, "Two things… One, don't ever call me Lienie again. It's not my name, " she took another step backward, but they didn't follow this time, "Two, what kind of industrial cheese grater did you piss off?"

Rumlow laughed low and dark, "You know, Pierce always did say you had a good sense of humor."

Emmaliene's gaze hardened, "Forgive me if I'm not flattered by the compliments of a snake."

"Beauty and balls, I like that," Rumlow stepped forward, "It's a shame we never had that date."

She took another step back and gripped the gun tighter, "If you like balls, it obviously wouldn't have worked out."

Rumlow laughed again, "You know he handpicked you for the project. For Athena."

"I. Don't. Care," Emmaliene emphasized each word with a step backward. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see the darkness of the covered loading dock. She didn't see any movement and could only pray that Marjorie was staying somewhere else tonight.

In the blink of an eye, she raised her gun and shot at the two men, hearing a bullet connect with one of them as they swore out. She jumped into the loading dock just as shots began flying back in her direction. She heard Rumlow screaming an order to cease fire so they wouldn't kill her.

She kept running to the end of the loading dock and trying to reach the stairs. Her foot was on the bottom step when she felt a hand grip her mouth, pull her back against the wall, and dragged her to the ground. She was pressed against a hard chest as they huddled behind a tall stack of wooden pallets. Her muffled scream was drowned out by someone whispering in her ear harshly, "Emmy, it's me," the familiar voice whispered.

She slightly relaxed as she turned to see his features shadowed by his hood. "JB, oh my God! You have to get out of here." She almost pleaded, "These men are after me, and I have no fucking idea why, but I don't think they'll hesitate in hurting you, please."

"Emmaliene," Rumlow's singsong voice echoed down the loading dock ramp, and she froze again, "Are you whispering to your sweet old homeless friend? I would hate for anything to happen to her in the crossfire."

Emmaliene glanced across the way to Marjorie's tent and back to JB as her brow furrowed. He realized the silent question she was asking, and he quickly shook his head. Relief flashed across her eyes. He had also grown attached to the older woman and was relieved that she was away from the alley in this current situation. His eyes met Emmaliene's again, and he noticed a growing fear in them as she took his right hand and squeezed it lightly as she whispered, "Stay down and hidden."

"Brock, I'm coming out," Emmaliene released his hand, and she spoke louder, "Don't shoot, okay?"

There wasn't a moment of silence that felt like it lasted an eternity, "Slowly put your hands in the air and step out from behind the pallets."

She gave JB one last look and took a deep breath. She holstered the Glock 19 back onto her thigh and raised her hands in the air. She slowly stood up and stepped out from behind the pallets. Rumlow and the other man were standing halfway down the loading dock with their guns drawn. Several other agents stood behind them with multiple weapons trained on her.

Rumlow took another step forward as a sinister smile stretched across his face, "It's time to come home, Emmaliene."

"I am not going anywhere with you," She tried to sound confident, but her voice wavered, "and I have no idea what the fuck is going on."

"I can understand that," Rumlow shook his head slightly, "I always disagreed with Pierce for leaving you in the dark until he thought you were ' _ready.'_ But orders were orders, but now I'm the one giving those orders. Rollins," he glanced to the side at the other man. Emmaliene watched as the man, Rollins apparently, pulled a small remote from his pocket and held it in the air. From where she stood, it resembled a garage door opener. Rumlow looked back to Emmaliene, "You belong to us, Emmaliene. You always have."

Before she could muster up any bravery to try and respond, a gunshot rang out, and Rollins screamed as a bullet cut through his arm, and he dropped the remote to the ground, another agent quickly retrieving it. Emmaliene had ducked down, and she glanced up to see Rumlow and Rollins raising their guns to her again. She noticed several emotions flash across their faces. The confusion led to recognition, followed by fear. They kept their weapons raised but seemed to take half a step backward.

Emmaliene felt even more confused, which caused her to almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a gun cock behind her. She held her breath and turned around only to feel the blood drain from her face.

She assumed JB could use a gun from his help in her building previously, but that isn't what caught her attention; and what caused her heart to drop into her stomach. He had taken his hoodie off but was dressed exactly like the last time she saw him.

When he had tackled her on the stairs of her home.

He no longer wore the mask on the bottom half of his face, but he still wore his solid black tactical outfit. If possible, it seemed that he had even more weapons strapped around him. The gun was trained over her right shoulder and gripped tight in his metal hand.

"JB?" Emmaliene breathed with a hint of sadness, lacing her voice.

His eyes snapped over to meet her gaze. A long moment passed between them before he spoke in a hard and calculated tone, _"Non provi ad uccidermi. Non proverò ad ucciderti. Affare? (You don't try to kill me. I don't try to kill you. Deal?)"_

Emmaliene wasn't even going to contemplate how he knew that she spoke Italian. That was the least important thing at this moment. The look in his eyes made her feel that he was honest with her; and, she didn't have a better option at this point. She slowly drew the Glock 19 from her holster and could vaguely hear Rumlow yelling something at her, but it seemed muffled and distant. She stared into the eyes of a man she had come to care for the last few weeks, and who had also tried to kill her earlier tonight.

She gave a brief nod, _"Affare. (Deal)"_


	7. Temporary Allies

**CONTENT WARNING** _TEMPORARY ALLIES contains violence and language_

* * *

Emmaliene turned around and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with JB and met the barrel of, at least, eight guns. That she could see. Rumlow was standing in front of all of them with one of his hands raised, the other dangling by his holster. He took several steps forward, and JB's gun trained sharper onto him. Rumlow stopped and held her gaze, "Emmy, come on. We don't want to hurt you."

"Five minutes ago, your men were shooting at me," she retorted while her eyes darted around, looking for a possible escape.

"I know, and those men will be disciplined," Rumlow tried to reason, "but out of everyone here, you are standing next to the most dangerous… Do you even know who he is?"

"Yes," Emmaliene answered, she shot a sideways glance at JB to see him glancing back at her.

" _La porta del magazzino dietro di noi è aperta. Dobbiamo arrivare al tetto, (The door to the warehouse behind us is unlocked. We have to get to the roof),"_ JB murmured to her, " _Ti coprirò. Andiamo su tre. Uno—(I'll cover you. We go on three. One—)"_

" _No. Ho un piano migliore. (No. I have a better plan.)"_ Emmaliene interrupted him. Without further explanation, she holstered her gun. Before anyone realized what she was doing, she had already produced the cylindrical canister from her hoodie pocket and pulled the pin, "RUN!"

She grabbed JB by his metal arm, and they rushed up the stairs and ripped the door open just as the flash lit up the loading dock. Screams could be heard as the door closed behind them, and Emmaliene saw a staircase in the corner. As she sprinted towards it, she could feel JB directly behind her.

He finally snarled behind her at the top of the second flight of stairs, "You seriously had a fucking _flash grenade_ in your pocket?!"

Emmaliene exhaled, "Now is _not_ the time for judgments, JB— Or Winter Soldier— Or… Whatever."

They reached the top of the stairs and pushed the roof door to find it locked. Emmaline's head snapped back at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. She almost screamed at the sound of the gun. She looked back just in time to see a bullet hole where the door handle used to be followed by JB kicking the door entirely off its hinges.

They jogged across the roof towards the fire escape. JB glanced behind him and immediately grabbed Emmaliene by the waist and spun her around as she screamed. He pushed her behind one of the air conditioner units on the edge of the roof as he felt bullets connect with his metal arm. The downside of where they've taken cover was that the fire escape was against the other ledge.

"Do you know how to use that?" JB questioned as Emmaliene pulled her Glock 19 from her holster.

"Yeah… The bullets go into the bad guys," she quipped.

JB glared at her, "Now is not the time to make jokes."

"On the contrary, jokes are the only thing keeping my sanity intact at this point." She spat back. His gaze narrowed, and Emmaliene half-rolled her eyes, " _Yes_ … I know how to shoot _my_ gun."

The answer seemed to appease JB, and he moved towards the edge of the air conditioner, leaving Emmaliene frozen to the spot. She didn't know if she should follow him or if it was safer to stay in the same place. Her decision was made for her just as JB looked around the corner; he instantly raised his gun and began firing. As he did so, there was a loud crash of metal above her, and she turned to find herself staring down the barrel of a handgun.

Without thinking, Emmaliene raised her gun and shot the man in the chest. With a groan, the HYDRA agent fell to the ground as she staggered backward and fell to the ground. She heard Rumlow call for his men to fall back as a helicopter landed on the roof. JB continued to fire his gun, reloading several times as the BlackHawk took off with the remaining agents.

Through all of this, Emmaliene's eyes were fixated on the man she had just shot, watching as he exhaled a deep breath and didn't inhale again. She could feel the numbing sensation settling into her chest and spread down her arms. She began to tremble, and the moment the numb feeling hit her throat, she began retching and bent over as the contents of her stomach emptied onto the roof.

After she spat up the remaining bile in her mouth, she took a jagged breath and whispered to herself, "Not again."

* * *

**4 Years Earlier**

_Between her tears and blood streaming into her eyes, her vision was blurred; still, she had to keep moving. Her whole body trembled as she held the gun and slid her back along the wall as the emergency lights gave the hallway a sinister red glow._

_She could hear the distant shouting and gunshots and knew that it wouldn't be long until someone comes down looking for the guard whole was_ supposed _to be watching her. She didn't know what was happening, but this may be her only chance at escape._

_She was nearing the end of the hall, and the heavy door loomed in front of her. Would it be locked? Would she instantly be caught and dragged back to that room from Hell? She knew that they wouldn't kill her, that would defeat the purpose of holding her for ransom. But that wouldn't stop them from punishing her. She would rather die than go back. She froze when she saw the handle of the door begin to turn. What was she going to do?_

_There was only one choice…_

_As the door swung open, she cocked the gun and pressed it to her head. The figure moves into the doorframe as the halls illuminated again. All she saw was a gun instantly drop from her direction with a yell, "Emmaliene!"_

" _Don't move!" She stepped backward and pushed the gun further into her temple, "Or I swear I will put a bullet in my fucking head."_

" _Emmaliene," the figure softly pleads. They raise their hands above their head, and she sees the gun no longer in their hand, "Please… Put the gun down, Lienie."_

_The light illuminated the pair again, and her breath caught in her throat. Her hand began to shake further as she felt a rush of hope in her veins, and a new wave of tears started. She still held the gun to her head as she gasped, "A— Alex?"_

_He wore dark tactical gear with a bulletproof vest, guns strapped to his hip and leg, "Emmaliene… Sweetheart… " He raised his hands as he slowly stepped towards her, "It's okay… You're safe now."_

" _Alex..." Emmaliene cried and began to lower the gun from her head, "You're he— You found me!"_

_Alex reached her and took the gun from her, quickly disassembling the weapon and tossing it to the ground. "I've got you… You're safe," He immediately pulled her into him as she began uncontrollably sobbing, "How did you get away?"_

" _They… He was pulling me out of the— the room," she struggled to catch her breath, "I headbutted— headbutted him, and he fell_ _—_ _dropped his gun and I… I…" She pulled away from his hug and looked at him with terror-stricken eyes, "Oh God! I killed someone! Alex! I'm a— I'm a murderer!"_

_Emmaliene felt her legs give out, and all of her weight fell into him as she collapsed to the floor. He went with her to the floor and held her close, running his hand across the top of her head and rocked her back and forth, "You're not a murderer… You did what you needed to survive…"_ _Alex continued whispering words of comfort to her as he saw several of his agents appear at the opposite end of the hall. He closed his eyes for a moment as he helped her to stand back up, "Lienie-bug, we have to go… Let's get you home, okay?"_

_One of his agents moved to speak with him, and he stepped away from Emmaliene, and she started to scream again, "No! Please— Please don't leave me, Alex…"_

" _Hey, hey… It's okay," Alex quickly put his arm back around her, "I'm not going anywhere." He started leading her to the stairwell that he had come through. As they began ascending, she heard him speak into, what she assumed, was a communication device, "We found her… Yeah, she's alive. Have medical standing by on the plane…" He paused again, then spoke softer, "Yeah, she's pretty bad...We'll be on the plane in two minutes. Thank you, Nick."_

* * *

JB watched as the helicopter disappeared into the night with his gun still raised in its direction. He turned around to see Emmaliene hunched over on the ground, staring at the dead HYDRA agent. He had glanced back when he heard the shot and was impressed that she had taken him down, even if it hadn't been a headshot. Now she was shaking, and her eyes were filled with terror. _Probably her first kill,_ he evaluated as he holstered his gun. He walked over to where she was and, grabbing her arm, unceremoniously pulled her onto her feet. He turned on his heel and walking to another vent on the roof. Tearing the grate off, he pulled several black bags out and looped them onto his shoulders.

When he turned around, he saw that Emmaliene was still standing frozen, looking down at the corpse. He sighed heavily and walked back towards her, "We don't have time for you to be sad over someone who would've killed you," He grabbed her arm again and turned her towards him, "Let's go."

His final order seemed to break her from her stupor and jerked her arm out of his grasp. Her eyes widened as she glanced back down at the dead agent. She knelt in front of him, causing JB to roll his eyes until he saw what she had grabbed. It was the device that Rollins had held up, right before he was shot.

Emmaliene looked at the device for a long moment before slipping it into a pocket of her bag. She turned around and, without so much as a glance in JB's direction, walked towards the fire escape. She hadn't made it halfway when she felt him close behind her. They silently descended the fire escape into a different alley. She began walking back towards her car when she felt a hand wrap around her arm again.

Once she had stopped, JB moved to stand in front of her, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Away from here," she tried to step around him, but he blocked her path again.

"Those agents will be back," He bluntly explained, "Your safest option is with me."

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?" Emmaliene laughed... She laughed so hard that she began to hyperventilate for a moment before she calmed down, "I am not going anywhere with you, you sociopath."

She reached up and, to the surprise of them both, shoved him hard enough that he was forced to take a step backward. His eyes narrowed as she stormed by him, so he reached his left arm around and grabbed the front of her throat. Spinning her quickly, he had her pinned against the alley wall. He left enough distance between and shouted, "Is this a game to you? Do you even understand who after you?"

"Let me guess," Emmaliene wedged her knee between them and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to release her. Instead of advancing on her again, he stood silently glowering at her, "Are they secretly part of an organization that tried to kill millions of people a little over a month ago?" She took a step towards him, "Are they sociopathic assholes who pretend to be someone they aren't just to try and get close to me?" Another step forward, "Are they masked murderers who break into innocent people's homes and try to _KILL THEM_?!"

He silently watched her as she took a deep breath, "Am I close enough, or do you need more examples? I'm sure the answers to _all_ of these questions, and more, are in the wonderfully ominous dossier I received. I don't need your protection or anyone else's, for that matter," She put her hands into her hoodie, "So… Since you now know that I am _not_ a HYDRA agent, thank you for helping me get away from Rumlow and his band of gun-happy merry men. Goodbye."

JB watched her walk away. He could stop her; force her to go with him. _They won't stop hunting her;_ he thought as she continued walking away, _Just like they won't stop hunting me._ There were still questions about her that unsettled him. But he wasn't going to get the answers he needed tonight, not in her current emotional state.

As she walked around the corner, he silently followed.

* * *

She drove silently, trying to keep her mind focused on getting to the meeting location. She had to compartmentalize everything that had happened; she could have a meltdown once she's safe. She stopped at a red light and took several deep breaths and felt the sting in her side and winced again. She promised herself that she wasn't going to look even weaker in front of _him_.

She unzipped her jacket and looked down to see blood seeping through the side of her white tank top. She slowly lifted it and saw that it appeared to be just a graze. It happened right when he had grabbed her and pushed her behind the air conditioner. Her adrenaline was still so high that she didn't feel a lot of pain, but it was beginning to sting.

She arrived at the meeting place and pulled into the parking spot. She got out of the car and tossed the keys to the man leaning against a used SUV. " _Mi dispiace per il breve preavviso, Dante. (Sorry about the short notice, Dante)"_

" _Non ti preoccupare. Questo piano era destinato alla tua fuga veloce. (Don't worry. This plan was intended for your fast escape)_ " The young man gave her a quick hug, " _Speravo che non avessi bisogno di usarlo._ "

Emmaliene hugged him back quickly and then pushed away, " _Lo so. Tu e Lucia mi avete aiutato così tanto ... Prometto che ce la farò.(I know. You and Lucia have helped me through so much… I promise I'll make it up to you)_ "

"I got everything you requested. So what—" Dante's thickly accented voice was cut short, "Are you bleeding?!"

"Oh," Emmaliene sighed, "Is that first aid kit in the back?"

She followed Dante around the back of the SUV and opened the door, lifted her shirt, and quickly cleaned and bandaged the wound. After dressing the wound, she walked around to the driver's side, opened the door, and put her messenger bag into the passenger seat.

"Thank you, Dante," Emmaliene gave him a tight-lipped smile and another hug, "Have the furniture in the townhouse shipped to the storage facility. Whatever the realtor leaves after fees for the house, keep for you guys."

" _Prova e contattaci quando sei al sicuro. (Try and contact us when you're safe)"_ Dante kissed her on the cheek.

Emmaliene climbed into the SUV and, before she left the parking spot, she rolled down the window, "Dante… If you don't split the townhouse money with Lucia, I'll know." He laughed and nodded his head. With one last smile, she pulled away and drove into the night.

Dante watched her drive away and sighed heavily. They had made this plan as an emergency only, and it pained him that she now had to put it in effect. He didn't feel it was his place to ask what had happened, at least not this soon after whatever had scared her. He would save that conversation for another, safer time.

As Dante got into the sedan, he didn't know that two different groups had watched his entire exchange. He drove away and didn't look back. If he had, he would've seen the motorcycle without headlights follow in Emmaline's direction. Several minutes later, another older sedan followed the bike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you guys are still enjoying the story! If you have any tips or advice, please let me know!   
> XOXO - Presephone


	8. Prove It

**CONTENT WARNING** _PROVE IT contains language_

* * *

"FUCK!"

The chair shattered against the wall, and several agents left the room or suddenly found themselves very busy. After his outburst, Rumlow spun around and shot a menacing look at Rollins, "How did you _lose_ it?"!

Rollins looked at the medic who had just finished bandaging his wrist. With a nod, the doctor left the room, "In case you forgot," Rollins winced as he stood up, "I got shot… _Twice_. After I took the shot to my wrist, Agent Burke picked it up and—"

" _Burke_?" Rumlow scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest as he sat down in the chair, "The same Burke, who was the only Agent that we lost? So now the person we meant to extract may be the same person who may have the very remote that _controls her_?" Rumlow stared at Rollins for a long time. When he finally spoke again, his voice was controlled and dangerous, "We only have _two_ of those remotes. I don't want to see your face again unless you have the remote _and_ the girl."

Rollins nodded, "Where would you like me to start?"

Rumlow stood up and took keys out of his pocket. He opened the safe against the wall and pulled out the file and a small yellow book. "When you get the remote back, and you're able, trigger it and use the phrase on page 37. Now take a small team and get our of my sight."

Rollins took the file and the book, and with a nod, he left the room.

* * *

The sunrise had turned the sky a soft pink hue when Emmaliene turned down the gravel drive. She stopped in front of the cabin and turned her car off, looking around, she could see smoke coming from the chimney of the cabin, and she smiled to herself. As she stepped out of the SUV, she winced at the pain in her side; she knew she would have to change the bandage soon to avoid infection. She hadn't circled the SUV before she heard the cabin door open and the cocking of a shotgun.

"I don't know who ya are," an old man yelled, "but ya best get yer fancy SUV-drivin'-ass off my property! Unless ya want more holes in ya than our Good Lord intended!"

Emmaliene shook her head with a smile, raised her hands in the air, and walked around the front of the SUV. "If you put holes in me, who's gonna bring you those cinnamon rolls from _Mia's Cafe_ you love so much?"

"Well, slap me with bread and call me a sandwich!" The old man dropped his gun and set it against the railing, "If it isn't baby Emmy!"

Emmaliene laughed, honestly laughed, for the first time in what felt like weeks. She put her arms down and walked up the short path to the stairs, "Not a baby anymore, Gerry," she smiled as the old man kissed her cheek and hugged her.

"You'll always be a baby to me, peanut," Gerry smiled and took her hand, leading her into the cabin, "I've known ya since yer Mom & Pop brought ya home from the hospital. I'll never forget the look on yer crazy Grandma's face when she walked into yer nursery and saw me holdin' ya before her."

"She wasn't _crazy_ ," Emmaliene laughed and pulled two coffee mugs from his cabinet and started pouring coffee for the pair.

Gerry sat down at his small kitchen table, "Coulda fooled me. Why was she yellin' all the time?"

"Because she was Russian," Emmaliene laughed while she set the coffee down.

"Well… _That_ certainly explains a lot," Gerry shrugged and took a long drink, "So, peanut… To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

Emmaline's smile faded as she sat down across from the sweet old man, "Gerry… Something— Something's happened."

Gerry stopped with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth. A look of concern flashed across his face, "What's goin' on, Emmy?"

"The—" Emmaliene cleared her throat and took a moment to keep her emotions in check before whispering, "The roses have died."

Gerry's face instantly grew somber, "Are you sure it's them?"

" _Actually_ ," Emmaliene heavily sighed and unzipped her hoodie, peeling it off, "I think it's something worse."

Gerry audibly gasped as he looked at the woman that he considered his granddaughter. Emmaliene had dark purple bruising that covered her neck and chest. Gerry shuddered at the most distinguishable bruise on her upper left arm. He could see every individual finger where she must've been harshly gripped. He looked harder at her neck and could barely see where the fingers would've grabbed.

"Oh _Peanut_ ," Gerry breathed and reached across the table, grabbing her hand, "I'll have everything ready in a couple do you need in the meantime?"

"I wouldn't mind a shower?" Emmaliene stood up and gave a weak smile.

"Fucking shit!" Gerry shot up from his seat and pointed at Emmaliene's side. "Emmaliene Anast—"

"Stop," she raised her hand, "Before you go _'shouting the full name'_ on me… It looks much worse than it is."

"That's not the point, Emmaliene!" Gerry suddenly shouted, "Who, in the name of Christ, was shootin' at ya?!"

"Gerry, _please_ ," Eammaliene tried to remain c. She didn't want to make matters worse by breaking down and crying now. _No_ , she convinced herself, _I'll cry when I'm alone._ She put her hands on either side of Gerry's face and gave him a sympathetic look, "I promise that I'm fine. The bullet grazed me, and, as much as it kills me to say this, I _can't_ tell you what's going on. I want to; you have no idea how much, but I—" Emmaliene had to take several deep breaths to stop her bottom lip from trembling, "I'm afraid that I've already put you in danger coming here."

"Never, _peanut_ ," Gerry spoke softer, "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"That's what scares me," Emmaliene furrowed her brow. Gerry pulled her into another close hug and kissed her cheek. Not wanting to break down, she pulled away from him after a minute, "I'm going to get my duffle bag from the car."

Gerry silently nodded his head and disappeared deeper into the cabin. Emmaliene stood in the small kitchen for another moment before leaving the cabin again. She opened the back of the SUV and looped the black duffle bag across her back and retrieved her messenger bag from the passenger seat.

She had just closed the door when she heard a branch snap in the distance. She whipped her head around and reached for her gun inside the messenger bag. She scanned the trees that surrounded the cabin, looking for any sign of movement. She walked around to the other side of the SUV just as another branch, much closer, snapped. She froze and took several breaths as she heard steps behind her. She gripped her gun tighter and quickly pulled it from her bag as she spun around.

" _Dammit,_ Bambi!" Emmaliene gritted her teeth as the terrified deer bolted back into the woods.

* * *

Emmaliene dried the rest of her hair with the towel and pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a tank top. She picked up the silver chain with the vial and rolled it between her fingers. This was the one part of her escape plan that she had entirely kept to herself. She tucked the necklace under the hem of her tank top and finished using the bathroom.

No one needed to know.

She walked down the stairs to see Gerry bustling about the cabin. She folded her arms across her chest and walked over to the kitchen table. Her coffee had gone cold, but that didn't matter; caffeine was caffeine at this point. She took a long drink and turned around just as Gerry came walking back into the kitchen.

"Hey," Emmaliene smiled, "I'm going to go into town for a few things. What do you need?"

"No," Gerry shook his head, "I don't think it's safe for ya to go into town."

She tilted her head with an arched eyebrow, "Gerry… I appreciate your concern, truly, I do. But in an hour and a half, I'm going to be leaving here on my own anyway. Plus… I want some of _Mia's Cafe_ cinnamon rolls, too."

Gerry shook his head, "There's no point in fightin' with yer stubborn-ass, is there?"

Emmaliene smirked and shook her head, "I promise, I'll be back in 45 minutes." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She grabbed her keys and wallet from her messenger bag and smiled over her shoulder once more.

"Bring me back some of that fancy Elk Jerky."

She laughed to herself, "Anything for you, Gerry."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Emmaliene was pushing the cabin door closed with her hip while carrying a large grocery bag and a covered aluminum pan. She heard footsteps upstairs and smiled, "Gerry?" She called out as she slid the bags onto the countertop, followed by her keys, "You better get out here, or _all_ of these cinnamon rolls are mine."

"I love ya peanut," Gerry came in the back door smiling, "But if you eat my share of those cinnamon rolls, I will tear yer arm off and beat ya with it."

Emmaliene grimaced with a laugh, "Oh my God, Gerry… Too soon."

Gerry glanced at her bruises again, and his eyes grew wide, "Oh, Emmy… I'm so—"

He stopped as Emmaliene started laughing. "I have to joke about the bad situations… Keeps me sane." Emmaliene smiled and grabbed their coffee cups from the table and started pouring them another cup when she saw a third cup set out with coffee steaming from it. Then it dawned on her, "Gerry...Who did I hear walking around upstairs? An— And whose coffee is this?"

"Oh," Gerry was spreading the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cinnamon rolls and put them in the oven, "he got here about five minutes after ya left. Had yer, emergency passphrase, and everythin'."

Emmaliene turned around and set their cups of coffee on the countertop in the center of the kitchen. She took several breaths, "Who?"

Gerry plopped his oven mitts on the countertop and grabbed his coffee, "Yer boyfriend."

"My boyf—"

"Hey Emm," His voice cut her off, and fear shot down her spine. She turned around and met the steel-blue gaze of the Winter Soldier.

He had changed into more casual clothing, dark jeans, and a black tee-shirt with a black leather jacket. When he took his hands out of his pockets, she noted that he wore leather gloves. They stared at each other for a long moment. Emmaliene set her jaw in a hard line, and she felt her anger rise as he looked back at her and did the most unexpected thing imaginable.

He tilted his head to the side and smirked.

He stepped closer and wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her into a hug. She had gone tense, and she could feel the metal plates of his arm shifting. He released her, and she immediately stepped back, "Sorry I wasn't here sooner. I was covering our tracks out of DC."

Gerry set down his coffee cup on the table and sat down, "James here was tellin' me about the group that was after ya… Damn mercenaries… If I were there, they woulda met the business end of my shotgun."

James dropped the smirk and regained the scowl that she had last seen in the alley. He didn't take his eyes off, Emmaliene, "I'm sure you would've given them hell, Gerry."

"Hey, Gerry…" She donned a fake smile and looked to the older man. She internally grimaced as she hooked her arm through the crook of James' right arm. "I'm going to kidnap my boyf—boyfriend and go over some last-minute details of our plan."

She smiled when she felt him flinch as her long fingernails into his arm and pulled him up the stairs. She heard Gerry mutter something about young love, and she could have vomited if she wasn't so angry. She walked into the guest bedroom, where she had set her duffle bag and heard the door close behind them. She pulled her Ruger LC9S from her hoodie and turned around, pointing it at him. To her dismay, she found that a Glock 19 was already aimed in her direction.

When she finally spoke, it was through gritted teeth, "Why the fuck are you here, _James_?"

"Let's put the guns away and talk." James proposed.

"Go ahead."

"You drew yours first."

"You followed me after I told you to leave me alone."

" _After_ I told you that it was safest with me."

" _After_ you attacked me in my own house."

James narrowed his eyes and considered Emmaliene for a long moment. He tensed his jaw and scowled as he lowered his gun. He holstered it behind his back, lifted his hoodie back over it, and brought his hands back in front of himself partially raised, "Your turn."

Emmaliene sighed heavily and set the gun on the bed, "Answer my question."

"I've already told you," James folded his arms across his chest, "and I don't like repeating myself."

"Yes," Emmaliene's tone became harsher, "I _remember_."

His face softened slightly at the memory of slamming her against the wall. He unfolded his arms and put them in the front of his jeans. "Look… We _are_ safer together," As he leaned back against the closed door, he looked at her again, "You can't just leave town and think that HYDRA will forget about you. They were after you for some reason. But, now that they've seen us _together_ — They will never stop hunting you."

Emmaliene slightly relaxed, "That still doesn't explain why you think we're safer together."

"Because I _was_ HYDRA," he shifted uncomfortably, "for 70 years. I know how they think, how they plan, and how they move. I'm probably the only person in the world who can keep you safe."

His explanation hung heavy around them, and for several minutes they simply stared at each other. James was watching for any sign that she believed him; he needed her to believe him. Emmaliene was still uneasy, and the hardest question still seemed to weigh heavily. When she eventually spoke again, it was barely a whisper, "Why do you care?"

"Because I was HYDRA," He spoke the words again, this time with a hint of emotion. What that emotion was, neither of them knew, "Every person I killed I saw as my mission; what I was trained to do... And I was the best. I have killed a countless number of people; I don't even know how many and part of me hopes I never do," He looked down at his feet, "I realize now that no one should ever be considered a mission—a prize to be obtained for someone else's benefit. I don't want HYDRA to get one more innocent person for whatever sinister plan they may have… Not if I can help it."

Emmaliene watched him for a long moment as he uncomfortably shifted again. She weighed all of her options at this point and sighed, "One week."

James furrowed his brow but didn't look up, "What?"

Emmaliene unzipped her hoodie, suddenly feeling overheated because of her anxiety, "You have one week to prove that I'm safer with you."

"Deal," James looked up at her and suddenly jerked off the door, "Emmaliene _what the fuck…_ "

She glanced down to see that her bandage was bleeding through her tank top again, it must've happened when James grabbed her waist downstairs, "Shit," she pulled off her hoodie and tossed it on the bed. She walked around to the other side, trying to ignore James staring at her, and reached for the first aid kit.

" _Emmaliene_ ," his voice was harsher as he stepped towards her, "what happened?"

"I got shot," She grabbed fresh supplies and glanced at James, startled to see that he looked slightly concerned, "A _graze_...I'm fine."

"Take your shirt off."

Emmaliene paused with her hand on the bathroom door. She turned around and stared at him with eyebrows raised, " _Excuse_ me?"

James took a step forward; his face had returned to its emotionless mask and grabbed the clean tank top from her hands, "Take your shirt off."

"Not in your wildest dreams," Emmaliene grabbed her shirt back from him and stepped backward into the bathroom, "I can dress my wound… I'll see you back downstairs." Without another word, she shut the bathroom door in his face.

* * *

He looked up as his companion as he sat back down, "That sign wasn't lying," he took another bite of the cinnamon roll followed by another drink of coffee, "these cinnamon rolls _are_ America's best. I wonder if there's a Mr. _Mia's Cafe_ …"

"Sam…"

"What?" Sam shrugged with another mouthful of food, "You have to eat, Cap. Might as well be one of these kickass pastries."

"Fine," Steve took off his sunglasses and ran his hand down his face. He took a drink of coffee, followed by a bite of the cinnamon roll. He nodded his head with a raised eyebrow, "The sign wasn't lying."

"So, what did the employees say?" Sam leaned back further into his seat at the booth.

"She was in here an hour ago; bought eight of their cinnamon rolls after getting some things from the market next door."

"Do they know where she was going?" Sam asked.

"Not for sure, " Steve took another drink of his coffee, "but there's a local man, Gerry Millegan, who often talks about his, and I quote, ' _fancy granddaughter Emmy who lives in the big city.'_ "

"Well, that's sentimental," Sam took the last bite of his cinnamon roll.

Steve nodded in agreement, "They told me where he lives. Let's go visit him."

Sam stood up faster than expected, "I'm getting more of those cinnamon rolls to-go."

* * *

Emmaliene walked out the back door to find Gerry and James packing up a large toolbox on the back of an ATV. Next to the ATV was a motorcycle that she didn't recognize. They both looked at her as she approached, and she saw that James had her messenger bag hanging from his shoulder and her duffle bag at his feet.

"I got this bag… _sweetheart_ ," She stopped in front of him and faked another smile as she reached up and pulled the messenger bag. She draped it across her and opened the flap; confirming that her Ruger LC9S, the dossier file was still in there; however, "Where is my journal?"

James reached inside his leather jacket and produced the small yellow notebook. Emmaliene reached for the book, but he jerked it back in time and leaned closer to her, "I'll hang on to this one for you, _darling_."

"Alright, the two of ya," Gerry came around to the back of the ATV, "Wait for all that lovey-dovey nonsense for when I'm not around."

James put the notebook back into his jacket and zipped it up further. He picked up the duffle bag and placed it into the large toolbox next to several other bags that Emmaliene didn't recognize. Then he closed the lid and locked it, handing the key over to her, but when she moved to put it in her pocket, he didn't let go. When she looked up at him, she could see the sadness and fear in his eyes.

She lowered her head and held his hand a little tighter. Eventually, Emmaliene looked up and sniffled, trying to stave back the tears again, "The keys for the SUV are on the counter, the tags are clean, so there shouldn't be any issue selling. I have the burner phone; I'll keep you updated and—And…"

"Hey now, _peanut_... I know you're scared," Gerry pulled her close as her breathing became shorter, and her bottom lip trembled. James silently watched the exchange; this was the first time that he had seen this kind of fear in Emmaliene. Gerry kissed her temple and hugged her closer, "You're so strong, and you'll get through this situation. This is the reason we had this plan in place."

"I know," Emmaliene whispered and stepped back, looking at him, "I love you, Gerry."

"I love you, peanut." He touched her cheek with a smile. He looked over to James, and his face became more serious as he walked over to the other man. He looked behind him and watched Emmaliene walk around to the front of the ATV and began to strap down her messenger bag securely. He looked back over to see that James had followed his gaze, "You take care of our girl, James."

James looked at Emmaliene a moment longer as she placed her Ruger LC9S into a thigh holster she had attached. He looked back to Gerry and offered him a sincere, although skinny smile, "She'll be safe with me."

Gerry gave him one more nod and stepped onto the back porch looking back at the pair for another moment before going into the house. Emmaliene watched the door shut and closed her eyes, taking several breaths to fight back her tears once more. When she opened her eyes again, she found that James had taken several steps closer to her.

"It's okay to cry, you know," he spoke softer than she had expected.

"No, it's not," she grabbed her helmet and secured it onto her head. She swung her leg over the side of her ATV and started the engine. She looked to her side and saw James looking at her with a confused expression, "The trail gets confusing, so stay close. I won't come back for you."

James nodded, "I would expect nothing less."

He walked back to the motorcycle, started it, and followed Emmaliene into the dense forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the previous chapters written so updates will be slower going forward. Thank you for continuing to read! Please let me know what you think of the story so far!   
> XOXO - Presephone


	9. Acquaintances Reacquainted

_She maneuvered through the trees as the wind danced through her hair. She glanced around behind her, and she smiled wide. When she turned back around, she didn’t react fast enough before the ATV careened into a creek bed. She was tossed into a tree and instantly started crying. She heard her ATV turn off and rushed footsteps running towards her._ _  
__  
__“Emmaliene!”_ _  
__  
__She opened her eyes to see him kneel in front of her. “I’m sorry Daddy,” she sobbed, “I didn’t see the—”_ _  
__  
__“Shh shh shh… You’re okay, Sweet Pea. You didn’t do anything wrong,” he scooped her into his arms and saw a small cut on her arm. He pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the injury as he climbed onto his own ATV, “Can you hold that on your arm for me? We’ll get you home and get you all patched up.”_ _  
__  
__Emmaliene clung to her Dad as he drove slowly through the woods. The fall leaves moved around them until the trees cleared to reveal the back of their grand home. He accelerated faster across the blearing and brought the ATV to a stop under the balcony._ _  
__  
__He had just climbed off and picked up Emmaliene when he heard the back door open, “Hey, you two!” A cheerful voice called from the doorway, “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”_ _  
__  
__“Yeah,” Everett called as he rounded the corner, “Turns out our little adventurer does_ not _have a future in extreme sports.”_ _  
__  
__Katya descended the stairs and met them, “Oh my lмаленький (little one)_ .” _She took her daughter in her arms as they walked up the stairs, “Are you okay, Ev? What happened?”_

 _  
__“I’m just fine,” he pressed a kiss to his wife’s temple, “We had a creekbed jump out and attack us.”_ _  
__  
__Emmaliene nuzzled her head into her mother’s shoulder, “I’m sorry I crashed my birthday present, Mommy.”_ _  
__  
__“Don’t you even worry about that Emmy,” Katya sat her daughter onto a chair and went to get the first aid kit. When she came back, “Ev, I’m glad your back; we have a visitor.”_ _  
__  
__Everett looked up just as the tall man walked through the door. He offered a kind smile as he walked across the room and knelt in front of the little girl, “What happened here? You out there punching wolves, Lienie-bug?”_ _  
__  
__“No, Uncle Alex,” Emmaliene smiled, “I drove into the creekbed, and Daddy saved me.”_ _  
__  
__He stood back up and smiled down at her, “Good thing, your Father was there.”_ _  
__  
__“Alexander,” Everett eyed the man as Katya started cleaning the cut to her arm, “What can we do for you?”_ _  
__  
__“Always to the point, Everett, I like that,” Alexander Pierce smiled, “Can we speak privately?”_ _  
__  
__“About what?” Everett questioned._ _  
__  
__Pierce glanced down to Emmaliene again before meeting Everett’s gaze, “Project Athena."_ _  
_

* * *

Emmaliene stood at the base of the stairs that led to the back of the house. _Everything looks the same_ , she thought. She didn’t hear James until he was standing next to her as he handed her duffle bag over to her. Without a word, she ascended the stairs and opened the back door.  
  
The kitchen still had the same furniture that her father had shipped from New York. She traced her finger along the line of glitter she had accidentally spilled one day. She had wholly forgotten James was there until she heard the door close behind her. She moved across the room and set her bag onto the marble countertop.  
  
“I have rules while we’re here,” she spoke bluntly as she turned towards him and folded her arms.  
  
“As do I,” He met her gaze, “You don’t go anywhere outside of the house without me. I still have questions I need to be answered before I decide if I can trust you, so once a day, I am allowed one question that you _must_ answer. If you choose not to answer, I get _two_ questions instead.”  
  
“Fine,” she agreed, “then I also get to ask you questions.”  
  
James arched an eyebrow, “What about your other rules?”  
  
Emmaliene sighed, “Stay out of the master bedroom on the second floor.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because that’s my rule.”  
  
James clenched his teeth,” Consider that my one question for today. What’s in that room?”  
  
Emmaline’s eyes went cold, “Nothing that concerns you. Before you ask, _no,_ I’m not going to elaborate further.”  
  
His jaw tightened, “I need a clearer reason. So _tell me—”_  
  
 _“No!”_ she snapped at him. She watched as his jaw tightened in frustration, but she didn’t care, “Consider this my refusal to answer your question. So have fun thinking of two others. _Stay out_ of that room.”  
  
Without another word, Emmaliene turned from him and stormed from the kitchen. James took several deep breaths and followed after her into a hallway and saw several closed doors until she pushed one open. As he walked in, he saw a large bed with a large dresser and a long desk at the far end of the room.  
  
He turned around to see Emmaliene standing in the doorway. She pointed to another closed door near the desk, “Your bathroom is through there. Fresh towels should be in there, but if not, let me know, and I’ll find some for you.”  
  
She stopped mid-turn when James spoke, “Where are you going to be sleeping?”

She didn’t look at him, “The door at the end of the hall.”  
  
“I’m going to walk the rest of the rest of the house for all entries and exits, then a perimeter sweep of the treeline,” James explained while setting his duffle bags onto the bed. He turned around and followed Emmaliene further down the hall, “How many rooms in the house?”  
  
“Eight bedrooms, four on the main floor and four on the second. Each bedroom has a bathroom, but there are three other bathrooms around the house. The six other rooms in the house are the kitchen, front room, entertainment room, library, study, and gym. But the gym.” Emmaliene opened the other room and walked in to set her bags down. She turned around and saw James staring at her, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just surprised,” his voice dripped with sarcasm, “I thought there would’ve been an Olympic size pool in the basement.”  
  
“Did you just make a _joke?!_ That must’ve hurt so much!” Emmaliene glared, “Also, the pool house is on the north side of the house. There are five acres of forest in each direction.”  
  
“Consider this my first question,” he crossed the room, folding his arms as he moved, “Who are you?”  
  
Many sarcastic answers flashed through her mind, but she knew that now wasn’t the time. She sighed and sat down on the settee at the end of her bed, “My father was a genetic engineer and my mother was a biochemist,” she shrugged, attempting to be nonchalant, “Both careers left them financially well off.”

James tilted his head, “Gerry?”  
  
Emmaliene gently smiled, “Old family friend. He was the closest thing that my Dad had to a brother when they were growing up.”  
  
“When did they die?” He bluntly asked.  
  
Her smile faded, and she looked down at her hands. She didn’t answer for, what felt like hours, “I was nine. That’s why I moved to New York.”  
  
He wanted to use his second question to inquire further, but one look at her face told him that he wouldn’t get further answers right now. He watched her for several minutes before he silently turned away and closed the door behind him. He needed to make contingency plans for escape; he needed to investigate the house thoroughly.  
  
Except for the master bedroom.

* * *

James had walked the entire treeline surrounding the house and the poolhouse twice before going back inside. As he familiarized himself with the house, he stopped several times when he came across pictures hung on walls or set on tables. 

One such picture was in the hallway, and it caused him to stop in his tracks. It seemed to have been taken in front of the pool house on a day where the sunlight accented a pair of green eyes that he immediately recognized. The two people he didn’t know he assumed were Emmaline’s parents, Gerry sitting next to the woman with his arm over his shoulder. The man he believed to be her father had his arm around another man who made him clench his jaw in anger.  
  
Alexander Pierce smiled wide at the camera as if he didn’t have a care in the world. On his lap sat a smiling little girl, no older than ten years old. Her ridiculous toothy grin paired with her braided pigtails reflected the idea that she didn’t have a care in the world. 

He suddenly had the face of another little girl flash in his head. 

_  
She was running from him and screaming down an alley. She wore a red gingham dress, and her curls bounced behind her as she ran._ _  
__  
__“Stop running!” He yelled._ _  
__  
__“No!” She screamed as she rounded a corner, but he was right behind her._ _  
__  
__His arm looped around her tiny waist, and he picked her up with little effort pulling her back into the alley. She thrashed and twisted in his tight grip until she resigned that she wasn’t getting away from him. Once they were halfway down the alley, he set her down and kneeled in front of her, “Did you think you could get away from me?”_ _  
__  
__The little girl pouted, “It was worth a try.”_ _  
__  
__“You will never get away from me,” James chuckled softly, “Especially when you steal my licorice rope.” He held his hand out and arched an eyebrow at the little girl. She dramatically sighed and put the candy in his hand. He laughed again and picked up the little girl, holding her on his hip, “Come on Munchkin. Let’s go help Mama with dinner.”_

“... Rebecca,” James whispered.

* * *

_Jab, Cross, Slip_

_Breathe_

_Sweep, Squat, Kick_

_Breathe_

_Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut_

_Breathe_

Emmaliene continued the mixture of combinations as she mercilessly battled the punching bag. It hung from the rafters of the ceiling in the gym, and the only sounds heard were the hard strikes against the bag and her jagged breaths. She didn’t know how long she had been working out, but she noticed that it was getting darker through the skylight above.  
  
As she maneuvered into another kick, she pushed back from the bag harder than anticipated and stumbled backward, striking a hard surface. Her eyes widened, and she spun around, swinging her right arm in a perfect arc. She was immediately stopped as a large hand encased her fist.  
  
James stared down at her with his signature emotionless gaze. The knuckles of his right hand were barely touching his cheek, and Emmaliene realized how close she had come to connect with his jaw. She pulled her hand from his grasp and took a step back, “I was serious about trying a bell around your neck.”

She turned away from him and over to the bench. She took a long drink of her water and calmed her breathing. She turned back around to see James still watching her closely. She sighed, ‘What?”

He looked at her with a blank expression, “What training do you have?”

“I’ve already told you,” She rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her hip, “Kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu classes--”

“No,” he cut her off, “Regular classes can teach you the skills that you have used, but Nothing can train and strengthen you to fight _me_. To get away from me how you did back in DC.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Emmaliene shrugged, “I’ve never had special training in anything.”

“If you have your way, I won’t be around you for long. But while we’re together, I need to know that you can get away from me” James took several steps towards her without breaking her gaze.

Emmaliene arched an eyebrow, “I have gotten away from you... _Twice_.”

“You’ve gotten away from me,” he stopped several feet in front of her. He didn’t want her to feel caged in, “but you haven’t gotten away from him... The Soldier.” He watched as her brow furrowed in confusion, he knew that she didn’t understand, “When we fought at your house, I was there of my own volition. I needed answers from you. I made sure not to cause you any permanent damage... I held back. But if HYDRA can activate the Soldier... I won’t. I _will_ kill you if ordered.”

“Your sales pitch is seriously lacking in positivity.”

James sighed heavily, “We don’t have the luxury to sugarcoat things.”

Emmaliene walked back to the bag and started to attack it half-heartedly again, “How do I know this isn’t just your plan to kill me?”

She saw him move out of the corner of her eye as he walked to the other side of the bag. “Believe me, if I had wanted to kill you,” he grabbed the other side of the bag to stabilize it as she continued her combinations, “you would already be dead.”

Emmaliene paused just as her gloved-fist struck the bag. _Worst pep talk in history,_ she thought as she straightened up again. He held the bag and moved with her, correcting her stances and forcing her to move faster until she felt as if her legs would give out from beneath her. 

After several hours of continuous work, they walked back to the kitchen, and Emmaliene made a quick dinner for the pair. They sat in silence on the back porch and ate, watching the dark clouds rolling towards them as the crickets sang a lullaby to the night. 

“When we first met,” James broke the silence as he set his bowl on the ground, “you got extremely defensive when I mentioned the nickname Lienie. Also, when Rumlow called you that.” he looked over to see her green eyes sadden, “Why?”

She didn’t blink, “Is this your designated second question?”

“It is.”

He watched as she turned away, looking back out to the treeline as a distant roll of thunder echoed through the clearing. He saw the same emotion cross her face that he had seen the night he watched her through her window, but it was much easier to identify this time. 

_Despair_.

“Lienie-bug,” she whispered without looking over to meet his gaze, “it was a nickname that only one person ever used.” When she looked over to him, and he could see phantoms of a distant memory in her eyes, “Alexander Pierce.”

James involuntarily flinched at the mention of the name. He remembered the feeling of Pierce slapping his face, ordering him to kill Capta— Steve. Ordering him to kill _Steve_.

“I didn’t lie, you know...” She looked away from him again and laced her fingers together. She began picking at her thumbnail, crossing her legs and tucking her feet underneath her, “I didn’t know who he was...”

James leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as his feet settled on the first step down from the porch, “What was he... to you?”

Emmaliene sighed heavily and her shoulders slouched forward, “He was the only family I had left. The one person in my life I thought would never....” She closed her eyes, and James saw her bottom lip slightly tremble. She took several deep breaths before continuing, “He had been a friend of my parents since before I was born. Not as close as Gerry; but, close enough to be my unofficial Godfather. He took me in after my parents died. He kept me safe until _Nonna (Grandmother)_ could arrive and take me to New York with her.

"He was there for every significant event of my life... Graduations, holidays, happiness, heartbreak. He was on a business trip to Berlin and dropped everything to fly home and be with me when Nonna (Grandmother) died. He cleared his whole schedule for two weeks to make sure I wasn’t alone.

“He took me to Bolsena for my 18th birthday, and I fell in love with the city,” she gave a cold smile, “We were supposed to go back this fall for my 30th birthday. But now-- Now I have no idea who he was to me... Not really.”

James contemplated her words as he looked back out to the shadowed treeline. He didn’t know how to comfort her; he hadn’t comforted anyone in over seventy years. 

_He hadn’t_ been shown comfort in over seventy years.

“What about you?”  
  
He looked up at her with a confused expression, “What do you mean?”  
  


Emmaliene looked over at him, “What should I call you?”

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward at the question. She was giving him a choice—a _choice_ of what he wanted to be called.

“James.”  
  


“Well… _James_ … I’m exhausted and haven’t slept in over 36 hours. I’ll see you in the morning.” Emmaliene offered a soft smile as they stood up and walked back inside the house, “You should get some sleep, too.”

* * *

 _You should get some sleep, too_. 

Her last words echoed in his head as he sat at the end of his bed. He had heard her go to bed several hours ago, and he still found himself unable to sleep. He slowly pulled the large comforter back and laid down, trying to remember the last time he slept in a real bed. He replayed the last week through his mind again as he felt his eyes growing heavy. It couldn’t hurt to sleep for an hour or two.

* * *

  
Lightning shot across the darkened sky as the house was filled with sudden screams.  
  



	10. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remain seated and keep your hands and legs inside the ride at all times. This chapter is the rollercoaster!   
> XOXO - Presephone

Rollins walked out of the panic room and into the destroyed living room. She had left quickly but no indication where she was going. The rest of his team was sweeping through the rest of the house, and he had almost exhausted the search until a picture caught his eye.

Emmaliene was standing with an older gentleman in front of a cabin, broad smiles painted across their faces. He removed the picture from the frame, looked at the writing on the back, and smirked.

"Sir?"

He turned to see his second-in-command and held the picture out to him, "Let's go pay a visit to Gerry."

* * *

 _I shouldn't have gone to sleep,_ James scolded himself as he shot out of bed and grabbed the Desert Eagle from beneath his pillow.

The door was practically pulled from its hinges as he tore into the hallway, _I shouldn't have left her alone_.

He continued his silent lecture as he sprinted down the short hallway to her closed bedroom door. " _Блядь (Fuck!)_ ," he muttered to himself as the doorknob refused to turn, clearly having been locked. He took one step backward as he heard another scream shoot through the otherwise silent house.

" _NO!"_ She screamed from the other side of the door, "Please, _don't_ do this!"

James kicked the door open with the gun raised and prepared to fire at the unknown attacker without further hesitation. He froze in the doorway as he scanned the bedroom's interior and found that only Emmaliene was in the room. Her screaming stopped as she lurched from the bed, falling to the floor and out of James' sight.

He strode forward, setting his gun on a dresser, and quickly made his way to the other side of the bed. Emmaliene was curled into a ball on the floor and, even in the darkness of the room, James could see her trembling. He went down onto a knee and could hear her murmuring to herself.

"You're not there… You're. _Not._ There… You're safe… They didn't find you…"

Hesitantly, James reached forward, and Emmaliene jerked backward as his hand connected with her shoulder, and her wild eyes snapped up to his face. Almost immediately, she dropped her head back against the wall.

"Curtains... Bed… James… Door… Lamp," She whispered and closed her eyes.

James sat back onto his feet at the mention of his name.

"Shirt… Carpet… Hair… Sweat…" Deep breath.

 _What is she doing?_ James asked himself.

"Thunder… Breathing… Fan," Another deep breath.

He looked at Emmaliene as she continued whispering words that, to him, made no sense.

"Rain… Pine trees," _Breathe_.

Lightning illuminated the room, and James could see her bottom lip tremble as she laced her fingers together in front of her.

She took a final deep breath and unconsciously licked her lips, "... Salt."

For several minutes the only sound was the light rain against the window and distant thunder. James watched as Emmaliene's breathing steadied, and her hands slowly stopped trembling. When he spoke, he made sure that his voice was soft and controlled, "Emmaliene?"

She slowly opened her eyes and looked directly at him for the first time, "Why are you not wearing a shirt?"

"The same reason you aren't wearing pants," James rolled his eyes at her, "We were both sleeping."

Emmaliene suddenly became mortified at her current state of undress, stood up, and sat back on the edge of her bed, "I'm sorry. Uummm—" She draped a blanket across her legs as she crossed her legs and sat on them, "I'm sorry that I woke you up."

James tentatively sat next to her and watched her closely. She had calmed down, but her eyes still darted fearfully around the room, "Do you want to talk about the nightmare?" She looked up at him with a furrowed brow, "I know what they look like; I— I get them, too."

A heavy silence fell between them as another flash of lightning lit the room, "I don't talk about them. No one understands, and it's easier to— just to pretend…"

"That they don't happen," James quietly finished her sentence. "The words you were muttering… What were they?"

"It's a grounding technique for anxiety and panic attacks. You can see five things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste."

"It seemed to help," James observed.

After several minutes of silence, Emmaliene carefully reached out and took his metal hand, instantly tense. His fingers twitched around hers until he lightly wrapped them around her hand. She sighed before speaking, "Thank you… For checking on me."

James silently nodded his head, "It would've been easier if your door hadn't been locked."

Emmaliene weakly chuckled, "You can't blame me for being unsure…"

"No, I can't," James sighed, "But maybe leave it unlocked from now on."

Emmaliene smiled, "Deal."

"I should go back to my room," James stood up and released her hand, "Unless you… Unless you need me to…"

Without meeting his eyes, Emmaliene answered the unfinished question, "No. I'm okay now."

James gave her a final nod and turned, grabbing his gun from the dresser, and closing her bedroom door as he left. Both tossed and turned the rest of the night, knowing that sleep wouldn't find either of them.

* * *

"Sir, for the last time," Sam heavily sighed, holding his hands in the air, "we are not here to hurt you _or_ Miss Harrington."

"A likely story!" Gerry shouted from the other side of his shotgun. The silence was interrupted by the cell phone ringing inside Steve's pocket. Gerry's eyes narrowed towards the superhero, "Ya gonna answer that, pretty boy?"

Steve slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out the cellphone, and held it to his ear, "Hello?" His brow furrowed, and his eyes darted up to Gerry again. He held the phone out in the old man's direction on the porch, "It's for you."

Gerry motioned for Steve to bring the phone to him. Once the phone was placed on the railing, Steve took several steps back, so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Sam. Gerry hesitated a moment and then reached for the phone, "Who the hell is— Well, cut my legs off and call me Shorty!"

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the expression as he shot a side glance to Steve before looking back up as Gerry spoke again, "So these boys are yours? Alright… I won't shoot them… _Yet_ … We'll catch up over a beer sometime… Take care, Nick."

* * *

Emmaliene was already regretting agreeing to have James train her. She had barely finished her first cup of coffee when he came in the back door from doing another sweep of the treeline. Without so much as a _'good morning,'_ James insisted they begin training.

Now, three hours later, as Emmaliene laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling of the gym as she heard the heavy footfalls approaching her. She opened her eyes when she could feel him hovering over her and was greeted by his unimpressed gaze, "What was your mistake?"

"Agreeing to train with you," She groaned and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Let me rephrase the question," James crossed his arms and continued to stare, "What was your _second_ mistake?"

She looked up to meet his gaze, "I was so focused on your movements that I didn't realize you were herding me into the corner."

James extended his right hand to her, and he helped pull her back up to her feet, "Then what happened?"

"I didn't have my arms raised fast enough before you grabbed me by the throat," she continued her harsh self-evaluation.

"What _else_?" He further pressed.

Emmaliene sighed, placing her hands on her hips. She knew the answer he was looking for, "I panicked."

"Yes," he turned away from her and walked over to get a drink of water, "You can have all the training you need, but if you let your emotions get in the way, you'll lose the fight every time."

"Easier said than done," she replied, taking a long drink of her water.

"We'll train again tonight," James stated, leaving no room for debate.

" _Can't_ wait," Emmaliene joked as they made their way back through the house. She immediately poured another coffee cup and started walking down the hallway to her room, "I'm going to shower because I am starting to offend myself."

"Not just you," James smirked behind her.

She whipped around and stared agape at him, " _Two_ jokes in two days?! You better cool it, or I'm going to start having comedic expectations."

James stopped outside her bedroom door, "Don't worry, I won't make it a habit."

She lightly laughed and rolled her eyes before closing the bedroom door, leaving him alone in the hallway. He made his way back to his room after hearing the shower's sound and closed the door behind him. He stood still for just a moment before moving to his duffle bag and removed the yellow notebook, beginning to skim through the pages once more.

* * *

Emmaliene finished tying the braid in her hair as she left the bathroom and quickly dressed in her tank top and jeans. She sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck; I'm _going to have a knot the size of_ Mia's _cinnamon roll in my neck if I stay this tense._

She glanced around the room again, and her eyes drifted to the black dossier that sat on her desk. _Might as well get it over with_ , she thought as she walked over to the desk. She traced the HYDRA emblem with her finger, fear settling into her chest as to what might be written within its pages.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a door close.

She walked to the window and saw James heading towards the treeline. She shook her head and scoffed, "That man loves his perimeter searches."

After making another coffee cup, she tucked the dossier under her arm and made her way to the second floor. She stopped on the final step and stared at the door to the master bedroom. She slowly made her way over to the door and stood in front of it, placing her hand on the carved wood.

James silently observed her from the bottom of the stairs. She placed her forehead against the door and exhaled a shaky turned away from the door and froze mid-stride when she saw him. She stared at him for a moment before straightening her back slightly, "I want that yellow notebook."

Without another word, she vanished down the hall, and James sighed as he walked back to the bedroom to retrieve the notebook.

* * *

When James walked into the study, he found Emmaliene sitting on the floor in front of, surprisingly, a Christmas tree. Her eyes were closed, and her arms wrapped around her stomach with the ominous dossier on the floor at her feet. James walked over to where she sat and leaned against a plush armchair's arm and watched her.

As they sat in silence, James glanced at the out-of-season tree, noting that dust had begun to collect on the ornaments and darkened lights. Near the back of the tree, he saw a large box that had festively wrapped gifts inside.

"My question for the day... What's with the tree?" He asked, turning his gaze back to Emmaliene.

Her eyes opened, but James could see all light had faded from them as her eyes scanned the branches. She took a deep breath, and when she spoke, her voice was so soft that even with his enhanced hearing, he barely heard her.

"December 24, 1993," she began, "the night that my parents died... Alex tried to make Christmas morning as normal as possible. A special Christmas breakfast, snowmobiling around the property, and hot chocolate with extra marshmallows by the fire." She nodded towards the barren fireplace in the middle of the wall of the study. "But, when he tried to get me to open my presents, I- I couldn't. It felt wrong, like... Like I forgot them. So I never opened them or took the tree down. I haven't celebrated Christmas since."

"How did they die?" James asked softer than he expected.

Emmaliene hesitated for a moment before feigning a smile, "You already got your one question today."

"Fair enough," James smirked, despite the heavy conversation. He nodded towards the dossier, "Have you looked at it yet?"

"No," Emmaliene lightly shook her head, "I'm scared of what it's going to say..."

James sighed as he sat down on the floor next to her, placing the yellow notebook in front of himself, "It won't be good."

"I know."

"But, I seriously doubt that HYDRA is who left it for you."

"Why?"

"HYDRA isn't one to share their plans," James explained with a solemn tone, "Particularly with those that they're trying to get their hands on."

Emmaliene reached out and grabbed the dossier, and James noticed the slight tremble to her fingers. She opened the top flap and pulled out the bound document within. At the bottom of the envelope, a small USB drive dropped onto the floor.

They both stared at the front page, Emmaliene holding her breath and James' breathing increasing.

**[PROJECT ATHENA]**

**Experiment #6859271**

**Zola Serum Modification for Targeted Release**

**Subject #13: Emmaliene Anastasia Harrington**

Emmaliene began skimming through the documents. The pages were full of scientific equations and diagrams, none of it making sense to her. She froze on one diagram in particular.

It looked similar to a garage door opener with three buttons on its face, each different. Below each button, there was an arrow with a single word.

_Reset._

_Activation._

_Liquidate._

"What the _fuck_?" Emmaliene breathed and startled James when she urgently jumped up and ran from the room.

James grabbed the dossier and notebook and sprinted after her, "Emmaliene!"

She didn't acknowledge his shout as she ran down the stairs, almost tripping several times. She continued her frenzied run as she tore down the hallway and burst through her bedroom door. She grabbed her duffle bag and tossed it onto the bed, unzipping it before it had even touched the mattress.

James stopped in her doorway and watched as she groped through her bag. Several items spilled out onto the bed until she suddenly froze, and James could see her arms begin to tremble.

"Emmaliene?" James asked again and took a step further into the room, "What's going on?"

When she turned to face him again, he became even more concerned at the look of sheer terror on her face. His eyes drifted to her arm as she extended her hand towards him. In her palm, he saw a small remote that looked to be the diagram's real-life example.

Emmaliene's breathing was ragged when she finally spoke, "Rumlow and Rollins threatened me with this in the alley before shooting his arm... James— What the fuck is this?"

James walked to the bed without a response and grabbed the dossier again, quickly finding the diagram page once again and flipped to the next page. His eyes danced across the page; then, he cleared his throat and read aloud, "The device is to be used as a way to control and require the subject to be made compliant."

He glanced up and met Emmaliene's terrified gaze before continuing, "The yellow button... _Reset_ : This will render the subject unconscious as another dose of the Zola Serum is injected. Injection will be made through the previously implanted device within the body of the subject.

Emmaliene slowly sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes wide.

"The red button... _Activation_ ," James continued, "Once the subject is rendered unconscious, use the activation phrase and/or word series simultaneously when holding this button. This will stimulate the subconscious and cause the subject to become compliant with orders and/or missions. Activation phrase and/or word series must be spoken within 60 seconds of activation; otherwise, compliance is not guaranteed.

"The black button... _Liquidate_ : At any time, should the subject become a liability to the experiment, themselves, or the organization, using this button will ignite the implanted device and the subject will be dispatched... Death guaranteed."

Emmaliene whimpered at the mention of death, and James looked at her once again. He could see that she was trying to hold back tears, causing her eyes to redden and enhance her iris's green.

He saw a final section of the page. He continued to read, "NOTE- Before liquidation is considered, ensure no other alternatives to force the subject back into compliance. *See— " James stopped reading abruptly, this time causing Emmaliene to look up at him. When he finally spoke again, his voice was quieter, "*See dossier on _**'The Winter Soldier'** _for further details*."

The silence surrounded them for, at least, ten minutes before Emmaliene whispered, "They were going to _implant_ something in me?"

James silently nodded and extended the dossier towards her. She takes it and moves back onto the bed, crossing her legs underneath her. After several minutes, Emmaliene quietly stood up and turned back around to her duffle bag. When she turned back around, James instantly tensed at the sight of a laptop in her hands.

"Can't they track those?" He asked as he followed her from the room.

"Not this one," she replied, sitting at the kitchen counter and opening the computer. James sat down next to her as she explained, "it's encrypted and has no connection to the internet."

The laptop finished booting up, and she plugged in the USB drive. As the download tab popped up and Emmaliene's mouth dropped open. "Holy _fuck_ balls... 128 gigabytes?"

James furrowed his brow, "Is that a lot?"

"That's right, I forgot... You're a _dinosaur_ ," Emmaliene sighed as she glanced over to him, "Yes, it's a lot."

The files finished downloading and popped up on the screen: four folders, each with a single word description. With no idea where to start, she just clicked on the furthest one to the left.

_Permissions._

There were several documents attached that Emmaliene had never seen before but immediately recognized them. They were hospital documents from 1993. She quickly scanned through them and confirmed the timeline, and her fears were realized as her memories returned from that horrible year. After the documents ended, she saw a video link and instantly clicked on it.

_[Video Begins]_

_A room scattered with different toys and games, the snow falling just beyond the large windows. It looks like a daycare, but you can see the medical devices in the room's corner. A little girl with a long french braid excitedly skipped over to a small trampoline and immediately started jumping._

_"Sweet Pea, be careful," a man calls and walks into the frame, holding a woman's hand._

Emmaliene pauses the video and closes her eyes tight. James watched her carefully and softly spoke, "Are you the little girl?" She silently nodded. "Are those your parents?" Another nod. "You don't have to watch it—"

Her eyes open again as she cuts him off, "Yes, I do." Without another word, she continues the video.

_Everett and Katya sit down in armchairs near where Emmaliene continues to play. Everett looks to his wife and takes her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before leaning in and giving her a quick, chaste kiss. "Everything will be okay," he said._

_"Sorry for making you wait," another voice said off the camera, "my other meeting ran longer than I expected."_

_Everett stood up and offered a hand as the other man walked into frame, "Thank you for this chance, Mr. Secretary."_

Emmaliene felt James tense next to her.

_"Everett," Alexander Pierce smiled and pulled him into a quick hug, followed by a friendly kiss on Katya's cheek, "We've known each other for almost ten years now, I've asked you to call me Alex. Don't make me turn it into an order."_

_The trio laughed and sat back down just as Katya turned to Emmaliene, "_(little one), come here and say hello."_

_The little girl jumps off the small trampoline and skips over to Alexander, giving him a big hug as he softly laughs, "Hey, Lienie-bug. How are you feeling?"_

_"Better!" The little Emmaliene smiled wide, "But I'm still really tired, and my tummy hurts."_

_"I'm sorry, that's no fun." Alexander knelt in front of her and took her tiny hands in his, "but we have some new medicine that's going to make you feel better, I promise."_

_"Really? Thanks!" She threw her arms around his neck, "You're the best fake-Uncle ever!" After her exclamation, she happily returned to jumping on the trampoline._

_After Alexander returned to his seat and looked back to her parents, "How is she doing?"_

_Katya's face dropped slightly, "The doctors are remaining positive, but the tumor hasn't reduced in size."_

_Alexander shook his head slightly, "How are her headaches?"_

_Everett spoke up, "They come in waves. Sometimes she's gone several days without one and other days she can't even keep her eyes open for more than a minute."_

_"Well, we may have something new we can try," Alexander leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "it would be experimental, so there would be no guarantees. We've given it the code name:_ **Athena** _."_

_"A generous offer," Katya said, "but I am fearful. What are the potential side effects?"_

_"We've had varied results," Alexander explained, "the first several subjects showed extreme fever and abdominal pain. One subject did experience psychosis and became uncontrollably violent. Although these side effects were unfortunate, there was a significant increase in the subjects' overall immune system." He paused a moment, taking a drink from a coffee cup that had been placed next to him, "Subjects 5-8 still experienced mild fever and abdominal issues. But there were no reported episodes of psychosis. Their immune systems also improved, and several experienced an increase in how quickly several injuries healed."_

_"And the violent outbursts?" Everett questioned._

_"Subjects 6 and 8 did experience elevated levels of agitation. But nothing that overwhelmed us," Alexander explained and sat back in his chair, "We've seen our best results with subjects 9-12. Mild to minor fever and abdominal pain, slight agitation that is easily controlled. Not only did they exhibit increased immune systems and quicker healing, but several of them also showed an increase in muscle mass."_

_"These are all wonderful results," Katya finally said after a long moment, "but has this been tested on children? Or are these all results from adults?"_

_"Of the twelve subjects, 6 of them were children aged 9-15. Although their side effects were more severe than the adults, they were also given smaller dosages. But as medicine improved, so did their results."_

_The trio sat in silence for a long while, all three contemplating the option before them. The only sound breaking up the silence was Emmaliene's giggling as she played with a bubble gun she had found. Finally, Everett spoke up, "How would it work?"_

_"It would need to happen in stages," Alexander stated, seeming to exhale a sigh of relief, "First we'll start with the first medication that will help with improving her immune system, so she is strong enough for the rest of the treatment. The second medication will specifically target the tumor while helping to strengthen her muscle mass. Once it's small enough, we can arrange the surgery to have it removed. After that, the third medication will help with recovery, and she should exhibit increased healing. If everything goes according to plan, she should be fully recovered in 10-12 months."_

_Emmaliene's parents remained silent as they took in the whole plan. Finally, Everett spoke again, "We can never repay you for this, Alex..."_

_"There is no need to," Alexander spoke sincerely, "both of you and your work have been a marvelous benefit and have helped us start to make the world a better place. Besides, SHIELD will always take care of their own."_

_"But we aren't SHIELD," Katya corrected with a smile._

_"No you're not; at least_ not yet _. But, I'll wear you down eventually. You can only freelance for so long,_ _" Alexander laughed, "Also, this is what family does. We help each other."_

_[Video Ends]_

Emmaliene and James sat in stunned silence. Emmaliene felt like her heart burst from her chest from the anxiety coursing through her veins. "M-my parents," she breathed as she stood up and promptly stumbled. She felt James grab her as she rested her arms on the dining table, dropping her head low, "They worked with SHIELD..."

"Did you not know?" James questioned, keeping his distance.

"I was only eight years old," Emmaliene spoke softly, "all I understood was that mom and dad were scientists... All I never knew was that they worked for the government. Gerry always-"

Emmaliene tensed and straightened up, and she walked quickly to the back door. She was halfway down the stairs when James caught her arm, "Where are you going?"

Emmaliene pulled her arm from his hand and stormed towards her, ATV, "I'm going to get the truth."

"Emmaliene, _stop_ ," James ordered, grabbing her arm again, "You can't just go back! What about your—"

"NO!" Emmaliene screamed and ripped her arm from his grasp again. He took an involuntary step back when she whipped around with her Ruger LC9S pointed at his face. "Gerry was the last person I had! The _last person_ I thought I could trust! Everyone in my life has either lied to me or is dead. Or _BOTH!_ "

James saw the unadulterated rage in her eyes, and for a moment, he prepared for her to pull the trigger. When she lowered the gun to her sighed, he saw the slight tremble to her hands.

"I am going to talk to Gerry about all of this shit," She spoke again in a more controlled tone, "If you try to stop me I swear to whatever fucking God is listening that I will put a _bullet_ in you."

* * *

"I told ya once, and I'll tell ya again," Gerry shook his head as he set down a refilled cup of coffee in front of Steve, "Emmy's escape plan was set up with only a handful of people for a _reason_. Fury may trust ya, but I don't."

"Her kidnapping," Sam stated with a mouthful of the cinnamon roll.

"Ya better slow down how fast yer shovelin' that pastry in yer face," Gerry observed, "Or yer gonna meet yer maker earlier than ya wanted."

Sam smiled as he stabbed his fork into another piece, "If that's how I go, that's how I go."

"The escape plan?" Steve tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"Ya, it's because of that kidnappin'," Gerry confirmed. "Nasty time in her life. She spent the month after here with me recoverin'."

Steve questioned further, "What happened?"

Gerry sighed heavily, "She was taken by a group of mercenaries. They snatched her right out of her apartment back in Manhattan. They knew that Alexander Pierce was her Godfather and knew that he'd fight to get 'er back. Not to mention her family money."

"Family money?" Sam asked, "Because her parents were scientists, right?"

"That," Gerry nodded, "and the family money from both sides of her family. Her mother's family, the Kuznetsov's, were Russian aristocracy. Katya's mother was the only one left alive when the Soviet Union fell and fled to France for a decade before going back to Moscow."

"And her father's family?" Steve asked.

"Yer from New York, ya?" Steve nodded his head, and Gerry continued, "Ya ever hear of Harrington Coal? Harrington Ironworks? Harrington Northeast Railway?"

Steve's mouth unconsciously dropped open, "She's one of _those_ Harrington's?"

Gerry nodded, "The only one left now. They got in on the bottom floor of those industries at the start of the last century. When Emmy's parents died, everything was put in a trust fund that she gained control of when she turned 18. Unless things have changed, she's still the majority shareholder of all three companies."

Sam spoke up, "So why the hell is she a massage therapist in DC?"

Gerry leaned back and took another sip of her coffee, "Emmy never really cared much for bein' a stuffy businesswoman. She likes helpin' people, and she's good at it with her job. She _says_ that she's stayed on as the majority shareholder because of all the companies' charity work, and she doesn't want that good work to stop. But," Gerry sighed again, "But I have a inklin' that it's more sentimental than that. I think she sees it as the last connection she has to her parents. I don't think she's quite ready to let that go."

As he was about to ask another question, Steve heard the distant sound of vehicles. Gerry stood up when he heard it and went to the front windows and pulled back a curtain, "Who the hell-"

Before he could finish, the front door blew off its hinges and smoke poured into the room.

Gerry reeled backward just as Steve stepped in front of him, his shield defensively raised. Sam had a gun in both hands pointed towards the doorway as the dust settled. Steve's eyes narrowed as a tactical team flooded into the cabin, several more breaking through the door behind them until they were surrounded.

"Well, Rollins smirked as he stepped forward, "look what we have here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bookmark and review! I would love to know if you guys are enjoying the story.  
> XOXO - Presephone


	11. Follow My Orders

The motorcycle cut her off, causing her to slam on the brakes of her ATV to avoid hitting him. A moment later, she heard the loud boom echoed through the forest. She didn't see any flames, but she saw a smoke plume rise above the trees where she knew Gerry's cabin was located.

Emmaliene's wide eyes glared into the emotionless gaze of James as she ripped her helmet off, "WHAT THE FU—"

" _Shut up!"_ He hissed and quickly got off his bike.

Next to her in two massive strides, he grabbed the key from the ATV and pulled it from the ignition.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" She fumed as she threw her leg over the ATV's side, causing James to take a step backward, "Something just happened at Gerry's! I need to get to him and make sure he's alright!"

"Twenty minutes ago, you were talking about screaming at him for keeping secrets from you," James calmly pointed out.

"That doesn't mean that I don't care if he gets hurt, you fucking _robot_!"

She stalked past him and his motorcycle before she felt his hand wrap around his upper arm, "You need to stop! It could be HYDRA that got him."

Emmaliene ripped her arm from his grasp and whipped around, delivering a solid right hook to his jaw that barely seemed to phase him," All the more reason for me to get to him!"

She turned her back to him again, but before she could take a step, his hand was also around her arm. As he spun her back around, she drew her Ruger LC9S and aimed it directly between his eyes.

Without missing a beat, his metal fingers wrapped around the gun's muzzle, and he instantly crushed the gun and jerked it from her hand. Tossing the now useless hunk of metal against a nearby tree.

Emmaliene narrowed her eyes, "That was my favorite gun."

James stared at her with expressionless eyes. She realized something in an instant that caused her courage to fizzle out. It wasn't James looking at her. Not anymore.

This was the Soldier.

When he spoke again, his voice was hardened and cold, "If you try to kill me _one_ more time today, you will regret it."

Many sarcastic retorts flashed through Emmaliene's mind, but she knew that this was not the time for such responses. Instead, she took a deep breath and spoke in a softer tone, "Yes, I'm furious that he has lied to me, but he is still the _only person_ that I have left. If I lose him..." She drifted off as her voice quivered. _Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry; she_ chanted in her head.

He features slightly softened as he saw her lip tremble, "You will follow my orders _without_ question. Do you understand?"

Emmaliene silently nodded her head and watched as James lifted his shirt's back, handing her the hidden Glock 19. He walked around her and into the treeline, once he felt her behind him, he spoke almost as if he were reading from a script, "We go on foot from here. Keep low to the ground and stay silent. Keep off the main path, and if you see something _other than me_... Shoot first, investigate second, and only shoot to _kill_."

"Got it," Emmaliene muttered.

She almost ran into his chest as he spun around on her and whispered, "I told you to _stay silent_." Emmaliene felt fear rise until she noticed the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. After she promptly gave him the middle finger, he turned back around, and they continued weaving through the trees.

As they got closer, they could hear muffled shouts and then a gunshot. Emmaliene froze in place, and it took James several seconds to notice. He glanced back and saw her terrified face. He walked back to her and gently took her hand and spoke low, "We have to keep going."

* * *

The debris fell between them as Gerry glared at the man in front of him, "Now that ya properly killed my ceiling... Ya wanna tell me what in the hell yer doin' in my house?"

"Where is she?" Rollins asked.

"Who?" Gerry quipped back.

"You know who," Rollins sighed.

"You-know-who?" Gerry repeated, arching an eyebrow, "Isn't that the creeper guy from them wizard books?"

Sam struggled to hide a snort of laughter as Steve tensed next to him.

Rollins quickly strides forward and presses his gun directly against Gerry's forehead. In one motion, Steve grabs Rollins's arm in an iron grip, leading everyone else to raise their weapons.

"This isn't your fight, _Captain_ ," Rollins growled between clenched teeth.

"If it involves HYDRA hunting an innocent woman for an unknown sordid plan," Steve spoke with an authoritative tone, "then that is the definition of my type of fight."

"Why are you even after her?" Sam spoke up.

"She's a valuable asset to HYDRA," Rollins gave a cocky smirk and met Steve's glare, "You know how HYDRA likes their _weapons_."

Sam saw the line of Steve's jaw tighten, and his knuckles turned white as they gripped the shield. "Look," Sam glanced around the room, "no one wants to shoot or get shot. It's obvious the girl isn't here, so why don't we all agree to go our separate ways."

An ominous silence fell over the room that was quickly broken by the sound of an approaching helicopter. Rollins looked back to Gerry, "Time to go, old man," he moved his gun towards the open back door. Indicating that he wanted Gerry to head towards the door, "You'll be good leverage to get Emmaliene to cooperate."

Gerry's gaze suddenly went cold, "You keep her name out of your disgusting mouth, _boy_."

Rollins' eyes narrowed as he glanced back to the other agents, "Take all their guns."

Two agents stepped forward and quickly relieved Sam of both the guns he held and the shotgun in Gerry's hand. The only resistance they had was when one of them moved to take Steve's shield from him. Steve tensed, but Sam's voice cut through his thoughts, "It's not worth it, man."

After Steve relinquished his shield and two guns, the trio raised their arms in a surrendering manner. They turned and walked out of the back door to see a ladder dangling from the helicopter hovered over the trees.

As one of the agents began climbing the ladder, a shot pierced the silence, and the agent fell from the ladder onto the ground. He clung to his neck where the bullet had hit, but he quickly stilled as he promptly bled out.

Everyone dropped to the ground as another agent, the one with their gun to Gerry's head, fell to the ground clinging to his leg.

Steve immediately knocked out the closest agent, taking one of his guns, and tossed it two Gerry as Sam took out another agent and took his weapon. Steve picked up his shield from the agent who had fallen from the ladder and instantly blocked several shots from Rollins, who had regained his composure.

"Get in the trees, boys!" Gerry shouted, and the trio made a break for the dense woods.

Bullets continued to strike the trees that they dodged in-between, but they were surprised to see shots still being returned from the other direction. When they finally reached a small ravine, they jumped down and lay flat on their stomachs.

Sam was about to say something when a voice spoke up from behind, "Gerry!" The elderly man turned to see Emmaliene glaring at him from around a tree, "We're going to have a _long_ fucking discussion after this."

"Right you are, peanut," Gerry shouted back just as she ducked behind a tree again as several bullets shattered the bark. Gerry turned around as Sam returned gunshots and met Steve's gaze, "We gotta get her outta here no matter what, ya hear?"

Steve silently nodded and stood up, placing his shield behind him as he sprinted to the tree Emmaliene had been behind. Several bullets hit his shield, and he felt a bullet graze his leg as he ducked behind the tree with a grunt.

When he looked around, he saw that Emmaliene had moved behind another tree. _How did she move so quickly?_ He thought to himself and then met her gaze nodding his head in her direction, "Miss Harrington..."

Emmaliene arched around the tree and pulled the trigger of her gun several more times. When the gun clicked, she immediately released the clip, pulled another one from behind her, and shoved it into the gun. Then she finally looked back to Steve, "If you call me _Miss_ one more time, I'll shoot you myself."

"Yes, ma—" Steve cut himself off from saying _'ma'am'_ when she shot him a death glare, "You got it, Emmaliene."

Before another word could be spoken between the pair, Sam appeared at Steve's side behind the tree, and Gerry startled Emmaliene by joining her. Forgetting all of her rage, she wrapped her arms around Gerry's neck and pulled him close. "It's alright, peanut," Gerry comforted quickly, returning her hug before separating from her, "but first we gotta get ya outta here."

Between the two trees, a shot hissed by, and they heard a distant grunt as the bullet found its mark. Sam looked over to Emmaliene, "Who's with you?"

 _Oh fuck,_ Emmaliene thought, _this is going to get awkward fast._

She opened her mouth to reply just as a grenade landed between the two trees. The four of them sprinted away as quickly as possible, but the explosion caused them to be thrown to the ground. Emmaliene was thrown against a tree and felt the wind get knocked out of her lungs. Her ears were ringing as she struggled to her feet. She heard the muffled voice of Steve yelling at her, but all she could focus on was Gerry lying several unconscious feet away from her.

She stumbled towards him but collapsed at his side as she felt another bullet fly passed her, and she felt the sting across her temple. She quickly touched the spot on her head and felt horror sink into her stomach as she stared at her bloodied hand.

She felt dizzy and could hear muffled shouting as her hearing slowly returned.

"... told you not to shoot at her!" An infuriated voice shouted. She heard another gunshot and looked up just in time to see the agent drop to the forest floor. When she looked at the man who had shot him, she immediately recognized him.

It was the man who had been with Rumlow, the one who had the remote in his hand before James had shot him. She heard him approaching as she looked over to Sam and Steve to see several semi-automatic rifles pointed at each of them. She looked down at Gerry, who was waking up, and she grabbed his hand.

"What a coincidence," Rollins spoke loudly while stopping in front of Emmaliene, "just the girl we were hoping to find," He crouched down, so he was eye level with her, "Rumlow's been awful worried about you."

Emmaliene knew it was a bad idea before she even opened her mouth, "Well, you can pass this message along to him." She threw her head forward, her forehead colliding directly with Rollins' nose.

An anguished cry filled the air as Rollins fell backward. Emmaliene was in too much pain to laugh, but her contentment didn't last long. In an instant, Rollins was on top of her; both hands were squeezing her throat. She grabbed his hands and tried to pry them off her, but it only caused him to tighten his grip.

As quickly as he was on her, he rereleased her. She rolled to her side and gasped loudly as air rushed back into her lungs. Before she could get a full breath, she felt herself being pulled up by her hair, and she let out a pained scream. Rollins' hot breath was on her ear, "Time to teach you a lesson, you stupid cunt."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pull something from his pocket. _No_ , she frantically thought as his finger hovered over the yellow button for a moment before he brought his finger down.

Emmaliene immediately felt like her head was underwater. She swayed back and forth and momentarily looked out to the dense forest, soon locking eyes with a steel blue gaze that was carefully hidden. Her last thought before blacking out was terrifying; _if James looks that scared, I'm fucked._

* * *

James watched wide-eyed as she collapsed onto the ground.

" _Ебать! (Fuck!)_ ," he hissed under his breath in Russian and continued his thought as he silently sprinted towards the gathered group, _Does she already have an implant?_

He stopped several yards from the group and quickly scanned over all of them. Rollins was leaning over Emmaliene now as Gerry shouted at him. He heard scuffling from the other side and repositioned so he could see everyone else.

When he looked over again, he froze and whispered, "Steve…"

The only thing that pulled him from his stupor was Gerry screaming. James looked over to see Gerry bleeding from his forehead as one of the agents pulled the butt of his gun away from him. He narrowed his eyes as Rollins leaned over, Emmaliene with the remote still in his hand; he moved quickly as soon as he saw Rollins hit the red button.

" _Осторожно. Потому что я бесстрашный— (Beware. I am fearless—)"_

Rollins's activation phrase was interrupted by the flash-bang grenade that landed in the agents' middle. As soon as it ignited, two more smoke grenades went off on either side of the gathered group.

James ran into the smoke and picked Gerry up from the ground, and the old man tried to throw a punch, "Gerry, _stop!_ " James ordered, and he saw recognition on the old man's face, "Her ATV is a quarter mile back on the main trail. Get there and take her back to her house."

Without another word, Gerry picked Emmaliene up and started toward the trail.

James turned around and immediately shot two agents at point-blank range. He used another agent as a human shield against bullets' barrage before spinning around as his metal fist hit something metal.

He froze.

" _Bucky_?"

Steve stared agape at his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you are still enjoying the story! Thank you!!!   
> |XOXO - Presephone


	12. You're Gone in the Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this posted; it's been a crazy month! I hope you enjoy the chapter; please leave a review and let me know if you are enjoying it!  
> XOXO - Presephone

"FALL BACK!" Rollins screamed to the remaining agents and threw another grenade towards the super soldiers. They dove out of the way as the grenade went off, each one taking cover behind a tree.

After returning to their senses, Steve looked around the tree to see the remaining agents disappearing into the trees. He glanced over to James and met his hardened gaze; with a short nod, the pair left the cover of their trees and began chasing after the agents.

They can't get away, James thought, not if there is another remote.

They were almost to the treeline surrounding Gerry's cabin, and James narrowed his eyes at Rollins, who was already climbing the ladder of the helicopter. Rollins was the last one climbing the rope, and the helicopter started to rise upward and panic set in; James ran as fast as he could and prepared to jump toward the ladder.

The moment they broke through the tree line, they both saw Rollins smirk as he leaned out of the helicopter and pulled the pin from the grenade before dropping it down towards them. Steve had just enough time to duck behind his shield but was still thrown back against a tree from the blast.

His ears were ringing as he regained his footing, immediately looking up to see the helicopter quickly retreating. He looked around for James, but he couldn't see him anywhere, "Bucky?!" he shouted quickly, looking around Gerry's shed and the surrounding trees, "BUCKY?!"

* * *

James had started running as soon as he saw the grenade falling from the helicopter. He wasn't ready to face Steve; he couldn't. He needed to get back to Emmaliene to make sure she was okay. He had to get back to the house, pack up and get them out of there.

As he ran through the trees, he could hear Steve still distantly calling his name, but he focused on the ATV that had suddenly turned off in the distance. The sun was beginning to set, and he wanted to get to the house's treeline before the forest was plunged into darkness.

He ran for what felt like hours when he finally came to the treeline. He could hear Gerry shouting at the other man who was with Steve. He was carrying Emmaliene, who must still be unconscious, as Gerry took the stairs two steps at a time to open the door that leads into the kitchen. James watched in silence as he saw one of the lights go on that he knew to be Emmaliene's room and then turned back off. He saw them come back out onto the deck as he heard a branch snap near him.

James moved silently behind a tree as he saw Steve step out from the treeline, still looking around. He looked up and saw the pair on the deck and sprinted the rest of the distance. James moved around to the spot behind the poolhouse and quickly moved to the edge undetected. Peering around the edge, he saw the trio of men moving around in the kitchen, and he took a moment to sprint under the deck where the ATV sat.

He heard the back door open again, and he moved to the back of the underside of the deck. He heard murmurs and plans to secure the perimeter and keep eyes out for anything that would raise suspicion.

James waited for them to be far enough away; then, he made his move.

* * *

Emmaliene's eyes slowly opened, and she saw nothing but her darkened room. She reached for her head and could feel where a bandage had been placed over her temple where the bullet had grazed. She sat up and winced as her headache made its presence known. She pushed the covers away and walked to the bathroom, flipping the light on and grimaced at the bruises on her neck. She could clearly see the individual fingers of Rollins' hands and quickly looked away.

She changed into a fresh tank top and leggings and walked into the hallway. She could hear soft voices from the kitchen as she looked into the room James had been in and saw his bags were gone. She wondered if he had left as she closed the door, turning around to see Gerry at the end of the hall.

"Hey, peanut," Gerry had a sad tone to his voice. Emmaliene crossed her arms across her chest and walked towards him. He stood up straighter and pulled her into a hug.

"I really want to kick your ass right now," Emmaliene sighed heavily, "but I feel like you've had enough of that for one day."

"I appreciate that," Gerry chuckled, "I'll let ya kick my ass from here to hell and back tomorrow. How's that sound to ya?"

Emmaliene pulled away and looked up at Gerry, "Deal."

"Come on with me," Gerry looped Emmaliene's arm in his, "There's some fella's ya oughta meet."

They walked into the kitchen, and the other men present stood up straight. Steve nodded in her direction, "Emmaliene."

"Captain," She looked from him to the other man.

"Ma'am," Sam also nodded.

Emmaliene arched an eyebrow, "I don't know, but I'll punch you if you call me 'ma'am' again."

Gerry nudged her shoulder, "Be nice, Emmy."

She looked at Gerry, "That was me being nice," she looked back to Steve and Sam, "Trust me, you'll know if I'm not nice."

She moved to the kitchen and sat on one of the bar stools, resting her head in her hands. A moment later, she saw a bottle of ibuprofen and a glass of water slide into her line of vision.

With a muttered thanks, she opened the bottle and swallowed one of the painkillers, enjoying the taste of the cold water. She sat up straighter and looked around the room, "Where's James?"

There was a tense silence before Steve cleared his throat, "I couldn't find him after the fight. I was hoping he would've come back here."

"Peanut," Gerry spoke up, and Emmaliene looked at him, "do you know who James really is?"

"If you mean— Did I know that he is a soldier who was supposedly killed in World War II? But it turns out that he's a brainwashed master assassin from an evil organization, and now he's gone rogue so he can try and regain his life back?" Emmaliene looked at Gerry with a deadpan expression, "Then yes— Yes, I know."

Gerry incredulously stared at her as she took another long sip of her water. After several long moments, Gerry's teeth clenched, and his expression hardened, "When ya first showed up here, ya had a bullet wound on yer side. Ya look me dead in the eye and tell me if he's the one who shot ya."

Emmaliene shifted uncomfortably on the stool, and she could feel three pairs of eyes watching her. She took a deep breath and looked at Gerry, "No, he didn't shoot me." There was a heavy silence in the room, and Emmaliene thought to herself, Don't bring up the bruises if he doesn't.

"Do you have any idea where Bucky would go?" Steve hopefully asked.

"No," Emmaliene shook her head, "A week ago, I didn't even know who he was."

"Why was he at your business?" Sam asked.

Emmaliene spun around with an arched eyebrow, "How did you know—" She cut herself off and thought back for a moment, "The dossier… It was you."

Sam nodded his head, "I had hoped to give it to you personally; but, when I saw who was with you, I thought it better to keep my distance."

"Did you look at the files?" Emmaliene hesitantly asked.

"No," Sam confirmed, "I was just the messenger."

Emmaliene nodded and looked outside at the darkness. She slid off the barstool and sighed heavily, "I'm going to the gym to work out some frustration. You guys can—"

"With all due respect," Steve cut her off, "I don't think that you going to the gym is wise."

"The gym is in the basement," Emmaliene replied, "As I was saying… You guys can stay here for the night. But I want you gone tomorrow, and that is non-negotiable. While you're here, I have one rule, and it is also non-negotiable."

Steve and Sam looked at her quizzically, and she continued, "The master bedroom on the second floor is off-limits to all of you," her eyes flashed to Gerry, and he gave her a sad nod.

"Of course, peanut," the older man nodded, "I promise that none of us go in there."

Steve furrowed his brow, "Why is it off-limits?"

"It's the master bedroom," Emmaliene looked sad, but her jaw tightened, "and it's off-limits."

Without another word, Emmaliene walked out of the kitchen and down to the gym.

* * *

Jab, Cross, Slip

Breathe

Sweep, Squat, Kick

Breathe

Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut

Breathe

Her combinations continued until she could feel that she was swinging with no method. She stopped and rested her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath. She dropped her head, closing to her eyes and listening to the silence of the room. She moved towards the bench to get her water bottle but froze as she held the bottle to her mouth.

All the lights went out in the room.

Her breathing swallowed as she stood perfectly still. She slowly looked around and saw a shadow by the far door. Her jaw tightened, and she softly spoke, "You better tell me who you are, or I will kill you."

"I told you already… If you try to kill me one more time today, you'll regret it."

Emmaliene relaxed slightly as James' silhouette moved towards her, "Well, I wouldn't threaten you if you wouldn't lurk in the darkness."

"I only lurked in the darkness to ensure your well-being without distraction."

"Giving me mini heart attacks is not good for my well-being."

They stared at each other for a long moment, and all they could hear was the fans in the rafters of the gym. When Emmaliene spoke again, her voice was softer, "Why didn't you come back with Steve?"

"I can't," James shifted uncomfortably and looked away from her, "I'm not ready."

For the first time since learning who he was, Emmaliene felt a pang of sadness for James. She had been so focused on getting away from HYDRA that she never thought to consider how all of this was affecting him. She hesitated for a moment and then reached out and placed her hand on his upper right arm, "That's okay, James," she felt him relax slightly under her hand, "You can take all the time you need."

He cleared his throat and stepped back from Emmaliene, "I'll stay in the area, make sure you're safe. But we need to move on from here soon."

Emmaliene nodded, "I know where we can go."

"So, you agree that we should stay together?" James tilted his head.

She slightly rolled her eyes at him, "That's the running theory. But you still have 5 days left of your trial run."

James smirked momentarily and then turned to walk back into the shadows.

"James," Emmaliene called after him and saw him turn, "My one question today… Why don't you feel ready to talk to Steve?"

She couldn't see his face but could hear a hint of sadness in his voice, "I'm not who he thinks I am… Not anymore."

Without another word, James walks away and is enveloped in the shadows.

* * *

Lightning illuminated Emmaliene's room for a moment as she continued to toss and turn. She finally heaved a sigh and sat up, crossing her legs underneath her. She hesitated slightly before she reached for her bag, looping it over her shoulder and leaving her room. She walked softly up to the second floor, and she paused at the top step. She looked at the closed doors of the master bedroom and felt a familiar twinge of grief in her chest. She approached the door and placed her hand on the intricately carved wood.

"Ya okay, Peanut?" Gerry's soft voice pulled her from her memories.

Emmaliene looked over at him, leaning against the door frame of his bedroom. She could feel the back of her eyes begin to sting, but she quickly blinked them back.

When she finally spoke, there was a quiver in her voice, "No."

Gerry walked towards her and held out his hand to her, "Come on, ya look like yer on yer way somewhere."

"The study," Emmaliene smiled, "There was a flash drive along with that dossier. I can't sleep, so I might as well learn more about what the hell is going on."

"How about I keep ya company?" Gerry offered as they walked down the hall, "I can't seem to sleep much myself."

"I'm still _furious_ at you," she side glanced at the older man as she opened the door into the study and turned the light on, "But you're still the only one I fully trust in this house."

Gerry chuckled as he walked into the room and took his usual seat in one of the chairs by the fireplace, "Now, what's in these documents of yers?"

Emmaliene took the chair that was opposite Gerry and opened the messenger bag. Her hands trembled slightly when she handed the dossier over to him. Gerry took it, and his eyes darkened as he stared at the HYDRA symbol. He opened to where pages had been flagged and began to read.

His eyes danced back and forth as he read the pages, his demeanor shifting from relaxed in his chair to sitting straighter and resting his arms on his knees as he turned the page. Emmaliene knew that he had reached the end of the 'Liquidation' section when he sighed heavily and closed the book. He leaned back into his chair and rested his chin in his hand, "My God, peanut..."

"I know," Emmaliene muttered in reply, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Gerry cleared his throat and met her gaze, "We learn what we can. Then we take 'em down," He gave her a sad smile, "Why don't you show me what's on that computer stick."

Emmaliene scoffed and smiled as she pulled out the laptop and walked over to the desk, "It's called a USB drive."

Gerry waved his hand and grunted, "Whatever."

They opened up the computer and pulled up the files. Emmaliene explained what the 'Permissions' folder had held. Gerry didn't feel the need to watch the video and looked at the other folders, "Do me a favor and click on that one, peanut," he pointed at a file, "I don't like the sounds of the title."

Emmaliene followed his gaze and took in the title of the folder.

Extinguishments

She clicked into the folder and felt a knot grow in her throat as she whispered, "What the fuck?"

There was only one video file in the folder with a haunting title.  
  


**"24 December 1993."**


	13. 24 December 1993

_Everett walked down the corridor toward the sound of Christmas music and laughter. He stood in the doorway as he watched Emmaliene skip around her mother with a pair of reindeer antlers perched on her head. Katya met her husband's gaze and shrugged with a laugh as their daughter continued to wrap her up in silver tinsel._

_He was about to say something when he heard a knock at the door. He looked at his wife again, and she silently nodded her head; she must've listened to the door, too._

_Everett walked down to the main entrance, wondering who would be visiting this late on Christmas Eve. He opened the door and furrowed his brow._

_There wasn't anyone there._

_"Hello?"_

_Everett started to feel uneasy as he took a step onto the front porch. He looked around and didn't see any sign of a visitor. He could see the fence's silhouette in the distance but didn't see any disturbance in the snow._

_As he turned around, he felt a needle sink into his neck._

* * *

Emmaliene stared at the screen, and she could feel her breathing begin to shallow as she swallowed hard, "Gerry?"

The old man had gone tense next to her, "Emmaliene, while I look at this, I want you to leave the room."

"No," she replied immediately.

"Emm—" Gerry started but was cut off.

"No," she emphasized again and stood up to look at him, "I have to know."

Gerry silently nodded, pulled over another chair, and sat down next to her. He grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as Emmaliene moved the cursor over the link.

The screen went black, and something similar to VHS tracking lines ran across the screen before the video started.

_Everett's silhouette clumsily shuffled through the snow as the back of the house came into view. He tripped up the stairs and fell, bracing himself with his hands against the step._

_"Get up." A voice calmly ordered from behind the camera._

Emmaliene felt her stomach drop and her grip on Gerry's hand tightened.

_The sleeve of his right arm was torn, and as he stood back up, there was blood left in the white snow. He opened the door leading into the kitchen and sat at the counter. He calmly placed his arms in front of him and waited._

_The faint sounds of Christmas music and laughter wafted from the second floor._

_Whoever was holding the camera walked around the counter, and Everrett's face came into view. He stared straight ahead with empty, soulless eyes. A gloved hand came over his head and placed an oxygen mask on his face._

_"Take a deep breath," the calm voice off-camera ordered, and Everrett silently obeyed. Heavy footsteps were heard off-camera, "Amazing, isn't it?" The quiet voice continued, "In Columbia, they call it_ Devil's Breath, _and it's used primarily in robberies. Give someone a few doses of this, and the one exposed becomes much more..._ Open _to suggestions. For example," the figure stepped in front of the camera and leaned against the counter, "Everrett, what is the passcode to the safe in your master bedroom?"_

_In a monotonous voice, Everett replied, "10-18-84."_

_"Liene-bug's date of birth; how sweet."_

Emmaliene audibly gasped as she watched Alexander Pierce circle her father.

_"I didn't want it to go like this, Everrett," Alex continued, crossing his arms across his tactical vest, "You and Katya have always been dear friends; I thought that the two of you would understand the precipice of change that is in front of us... And Lienie- Emmaliene will be that catalyst that will change everything. Take another breath."_

_Alex spoke with solemn reverence as Everrett deeply inhaled and continued blankly, staring forward. Alex glanced up as a burst of laughter echoed through the house, "I just wanted you to leave well enough alone. Why couldn't you have trusted me that Project Athena would help Emmy? She truly will be stronger than ever and will grow in power the older she gets. But you had to- You just had to stick your nose where it wasn't ready to go yet."_

_Alex sighed heavily and sat down next to his catatonic friend, "Look at me, Ev," he spoke much softer as Everrett looked at him, "I promise you that I will love her as if she were my own. On my life, I'll keep her safe."_

_The calm moment was interrupted by shattering glass._

_The camera jerked upwards to show a terrified Katya at the base of the staircase. The pieces of the wine glass she had been holding were scattered around her feet._

_"Shit," Alex muttered as Katya screamed and ran back up the stairs. He stood up and ripped the oxygen mask off of Everrett's face; his face had returned to its hardened gaze. He pulled a large hunting knife from his vest and looked just beyond the camera, "Rumlow, give him the camera and get ready to leave."_

_The camera moved back around the counter and was set down in front of Everett's hands. Soft whispering was in the background, but the words couldn't be understood._

_The camera was picked up and began moving towards and then up the stairs. The view panned down the hallway as Katya slammed a door behind her. She stood frozen in the hallway, looking at the camera._

_"Ev," her voice trembled as she held her hands in front of her, "Evere— What did they do to you_ моя любовь (my love) _?"_

_"Come here, Katya," Everrett's voice was hollow as the camera moved closer to the terrified woman._

_She lunged forward, attempting to dodge underneath Everrett's outreached hand, but he grabbed her hair. She screamed and clawed her nails at his arm, trying to get him to release her._

_She was dragged into a large bedroom and thrown against the foot of the bed. She looked up with tears streaming down her face, "Everett! Whatever they've done to you— Please, stop! Think of Emm—"_

_Her words were cut off as the camera quickly moved forward, and the hunting knife came into view. She let out a blood-curdling scream as the—_

The laptop is slammed closed, and Emmaliene's chair violently falls over as she staggers away from the desk. Her breathing was erratic and shallow, and she could feel her heartbeat pounding on the sides of her head. She felt goosebumps form on her arms as the numbing wave of panic swept over her arms and into her chest.

She looked up and saw Gerry's horrified expression, and her vision began to blur. She had started to cry. For the first time since this hell began... She cried.

Emmaliene stumbled away from the desk, and she vaguely heard Gerry shouting after as she ran from the room. Her heavy footsteps echoed down the dark hallway, and she ran down the staircase. She ran towards the kitchen and felt a healthy arm wrap around her.

"GET OFF ME!" Emmaliene shouted and pushed against the chest that had collided with her.

"Woah, Woah!" Sam shouted as the hallway light turned on behind him, illuminating him and Steve, "Emmaliene! What happened?!"

"Get away from me!" She shoves him again and runs to the back door, swinging it open.

The rain was pouring down as Emmaliene ran down the back steps. She could feel the three men behind her as the house's rear lights illuminated the darkened ground. She didn't know where she was running; she just wanted to get away from everything.

She felt her feet slip on the grass beneath her and arms wrapped around her waist as she fell. She started pushing away from whoever was holding her. She screamed and fought against the tight grip as the rain continued to drench her clothing.

"Let me—"

"Stop!" The harsh voice cut her off. She continued to struggle against the grip, even as she felt the metal slats in his arms shift and tighten around her. Her adrenaline was quickly draining, and she felt herself weakening with every second; he sat up and pulled her tighter, his human hand wrapping into her hair, "You have to stop, Emmaliene."

Gerry, Steve, and Sam stopped several yards from where Emmaliene was on the ground. They stared as Bucky held her close, and subtly rocked her back and forth as her crying filled the air.

At the sound of their footsteps, Bucky's head shot up, and he locked eyes with Steve. Rather than the stern eyes of the Winter Soldier, Steve saw the soft, concerned gaze of the friend he once knew.

Bucky looked away and softly pulled Emmaliene away from him, "Look at me, Emmy." She continued to squeeze her eyes tight as the tears fell freely down her cheeks. He heavily sighed and placed both of his hands on either side of her face, "Look at me, _bambola (doll)_."

The term of endearment caused Emmaliene to open her eyes and meet his gaze slowly. He looked at her with soft, concerned eyes.

"Five."

She sharply exhaled when she realized what he was doing.

"Trees... Clouds... House... ATV... Lights... … ... You."

"Four."

"Arms... Clothes... Grass... Tears."

"Three."

"Breathing... Thunder... Crickets."

James subtly nodded in reassurance.

"Two."

"Cedar trees... Rain."

The corner of James' mouth twitched upward.

"One."

"... Salt."

There was a long silence as the rain poured around them. James never broke his gaze with Emmaliene as her tears began to slow. His metal arm left her cheek and landed on her upper arm, "Can you stand?"

Emmaliene felt her throat tighten, "I don't-I'm not sure if..."

Her voice trailed off, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. He gave her a short nod, "Put your arms around my neck."

She was too exhausted to protest, and she wrapped her arms around him, his wet hair sticking to her arms. His metal arm wrapped around her knees while his other snaked around her waist.

James silently stood up, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He tensed slightly as the soft pressure of her head rested over the scarring where the man met the machine. He looked back to where the other three men had silently stood, and he looked at all of them individually before his gaze settled on Gerry, "Let me get her inside," his eyes darted back to meet Steve's, "then we can talk."

* * *

James quietly closed the door to the darkened bedroom and stood for a long moment. He turned around and walked back into the kitchen. Gerry was sitting at the counter with a familiar laptop in front of him. Sam was leaning against the counter next top Gerry, and Steve was leaning against the sink. James stopped in the entry to the kitchen, and all three looked up at him.

"Emmy?" Gerry asked.

James slightly nodded, "Sleeping."

Sam was the first to speak up, "So what do we do now?"

Gerry straightened up further, "We need to get Emmy far away from here."

"Where?" Sam asks.

"The next step in her plan," Gerry explains, "only she knows the exact location, but I do know that it's outta the country." Gerry paused a moment and looked back to James, "Can I still trust ya to protect her?"

James silently nodded.

"Then that's settled," Gerry stood up, "You and Emmy disappear while the rest of us track Hydra on our end."

"Are we sure that's the best—"

"It is," Steve cut off Sam and met James' eye again, "We'll keep them off your trail. Keep you up to date on their movements."

James held his friend's gaze and spoke barely above a whisper, "To the end of the line."

* * *

Emmaliene woke up, and it was still dark outside. She looked at her clock and felt confused; 10:45 _pm?_ She thought, _There is no way I slept the whole day_.

She got out of bed and opened her bedroom door, "Hello?"

Silence.

She felt an uneasy feeling settle into her stomach as she grabbed her gun and made her way down the dark hallway, "Gerry… ... Steve… ... James… ..." She looked into the kitchen and found it empty, "Other guy whose name I don't remember?"

Silence.

She turned around to continue her search when dread flooded her system. "Oh no," she murmured as she felt the familiar sensation of her head being submerged underwater. She frantically tried to run, but her legs buckled and gave out before she fell unconscious.

" _Осторожно. Потому что я бесстрашный и поэтому сильный. (Beware. For I am fearless, therefore I am powerful.)"_

Her green eyes snapped open.

_"солдат? (Soldier?)"_

Emmaline's eyes hardened and focused on the figure standing above her. Slowly, she stood up and squared her shoulders.

" _я готов отвечать. (Ready to comply)"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the newest chapter! Are you guys enjoying the story? Please let me know in the reviews! 
> 
> XOXO-- Presephone


	14. Next Steps

_Cross. Slip. Kick._

_Run._

_What the fuck are you doing?_ Emmaliene thought to herself.

Arms grab her from behind. She grabbed the wrist, twisting it forward, leveraging her weight against her attacker to throw him over her shoulder.

"Emmaliene, _stop!_ " Sam hit the ground with a pained groan, "You don't want to do this."

 _No, I don't!_ She screamed at herself as she kicked Sam in the face and jumped over him.

Emmaliene sprinted towards the treeline, not daring the look behind her. She could hear them behind her, but she couldn't stop. _Why can't I stop?_

"EMMY!" Gerry screamed.

 _Keep running,_ an unknown part of her brain ordered. _You can lose them in the trees_.

Her vision went white as pain seared through the back of her head. She fell to the ground as Steve's shield dug into the grass next to her. She could feel the blood begin to seep down her neck as she tried to regain her footing. She was almost steady when a strong hand clamped onto her shoulder and spun her around.

"Emmaliene," Steve spoke in a harsh tone, "We are not trying to—"

He never finished as Emmaline's forehead connected with his nose. He fell backward and grabbed his nos to try and stop the bleeding. When he looked up again, he was staring into a pair of lifeless eyes.

 _Steve, help me! I don't know what's happening_ ; she wanted to scream. But when her mouth opened something very different came out, " _Держись подальше от меня, и тебе не будет больно. (Stay out of my way, and you won't be hurt)"_

Emmaliene turned on her heel and sprinted into the trees, feeling relieved as the shadows closed in around her. She dodged between the trees; I _have to get to the rendezvous point._ She was almost to the ravine when she was thrown to the ground again.

HIs metal hand gripped her throat as she struggled beneath him. His knees had both of her arms pinned to the ground, and his eyes were focused but afraid. _Why is he scared?_ He subtly loosened the grip on her neck, "Stand down, Emmaliene."

Emmaliene gritted her teeth as she strained against him. She leveraged herself fast enough that she swung her leg forward and wrapped it around his neck. His eyes widened as she pulled back on his neck, flattening him to the ground and freeing herself from underneath him.

She jumped to her feet and pressed her foot against his throat, " _Не следуй за мной. (Do not follow me)"_

James furrowed his brow; _when the fuck did she learn Russian?_ He took a shallow breath from under her foot, " _Вы не хотите этого делать. (You don't want to do this)"_

He saw a brief flash of confusion in her eyes before her gaze hardened once more, " _Заказы есть заказы. (Orders are orders)"_

"They don't have to be," James gripped her ankle to lessen the pressure on his throat, " _Вы можете дать отпор. (You can fight back)"_

" _Нет. (No),"_ Emmaliene shook her head, " _с меня хватит— (I'm done trying—)"_

She was unconscious before she hit the ground. James looked up to see Gerry standing behind her and Steve and Sam sprinting the rest of the way to where they were.

* * *

He spat blood onto the cement and took in a ragged breath. He straightened up and turned back around, meeting the incensed glare of Rumlow. He paced back and forth as he watched Rollins regather himself.

"Tell me again," Brock ordered through gritted teeth, "how you had her, _literally_ , in your hands… And she still got away!"

Rollins flinched back as Rumlow raised his hand again, but the blow never connected. He looked back up and answered, "She had help. The old man, Captain Rogers, and the one with the wings that follows him around now."

"So what is the plan, _now_?" Rollins asked after a long silence.

Rumlow smirked, "My plan's already in motion. Get to the helicopter. We take off in 10 minutes."

* * *

Emmaliene winced in pain as she started to wake up. She groaned as her head sagged forward, and she opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. She was in the gym, but none of the lights were on, and it was still night outside. She looked around again and realized that she couldn't move.

She was tied to a chair.

"Wha—" She groaned, her throat raw and dry, "Hello?"

Silence.

The memories started coming back to her in fragments.

 _The figure was standing in front of her; she couldn't see them, but she knew they were there,_ "Выбирайтесь из дома и садитесь за деревья. Вы встретитесь с командой, откуда вчера вылетел вертолет. (Get out of the house and into the trees. You will meet the team where the helicopter departed from yesterday)" _The voice was low and calculated,_ "Вы понимаете? (Do you understand)"

_Emmaliene silently shook her head and turned towards the back door of the house. She had just opened the door when—_

_"_ _Скажите мне ваше имя. (Tell me your name)"_

The voice caused her to jump as it jolted her from her memory.

"Who is—"

"Tell me."

"Emmaliene," she breathed, "My name is Emmaliene Harrington."

James walked from the shadows and into her line of sight. His arms were folded across his chest, his left arm glinting in the moonlight. He watched her closely, "What do you remember?"

Emmaliene squeezed her eyes closed as her headache intensified, "I woke up and everyone— I couldn't find anyone. I was leaving the kitchen when…"

James watched as she furrowed her, brow, "When what?" He pressed.

"Someone—" She looked up to meet his gaze. James could see the terror forming in her eyes as realization dawned, "The implant," she whispered, " I have the implant. Someone activated— Who would—"

She began to breathe heavier as she felt the anxiety creep underneath her skin and across her chest. "Breathe," James raised his hands to her and walked closer to her, "Take a deep breath. You're okay."

James knelt in front of her, his hands resting on top of her arms, "Yes, you have the implant," he confirmed, and Emmaliene let out a quiet sob, "Steve and Sam are investigating to find out how someone got in and activated you."

"Where were you?" The pain in her voice caused a pang of sadness to sink into James' chest, "I called for all of you, and you weren't there."

"I'm sorry," James whispered as his flesh hand wrapped around her hand, "I'm sorry… We were outside getting a car ready for you and me to leave in the morning. Then we saw you walking down the stairs, and when Sam tried to approach, you attacked him."

"Oh my God," Emmaliene breathed, "Did I— Is he hurt? Did I hurt any—"

"Calm down, peanut," Gerry's voice broke through her anxiety as he stepped up behind James, "We're all okay."

"Can you please untie me?" Emmaliene looked between the two of them.

James considered her for a moment and then began untying the ropes, "We had to make sure that you weren't still— That you were yourself again."

He finished untying her, and then he stood up and stepped out of the way. Emmaliene hesitantly stood up and immediately walked into Gerry's open arms, and he pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest as she felt the tears sting the back of her eyes again, "I'm so sor—"

"Stop it now, peanut. That wasn't you any more than James is the Winter Soldier, " Gerry spoke in a serious yet caring tone. James looked at Gerry in shock at his words but couldn't do anything but watch the exchange, "Now that we know about it, we just need ta make a contingency plan. Okay?

Emmaliene nodded her head and looked up at Gerry, "Can I talk to James alone for a minute?"

"Of course, peanut," Gerry kissed her forehead and turned to leave, patting James on the shoulder as he went.

Emmaliene folded her arms across her stomach and looked up at one of the windows. The moon illuminated the gym in a serene glow, even though the atmosphere was anything but. She could feel him watching her as she closed her eyes and looked back down to the floor, "I need you to make me a promise, James."

James shifted uncomfortably behind her but remained silent.

She turned around and met his gaze; he could see a tear sliding down her cheek as she took a deep breath, "If something happens— If I get activated, and I can't be stopped or if HYDRA gets me… I need you to _promise_ that you'll liquidate me."

James breath caught in his throat, "Emmaliene, I—"

"Please," Emmaliene took another step towards him, tears continuing to fall, "I don't want to hurt anyone, and I would rather die than Rumlow get his hands on me. _Please,_ James…"

"If there are no other options," James took another step forward and wiped a tear away from her cheek, "I promise."

* * *

Dawn had just begun to crest as Gerry closed the back of the Ford Bronco, handing the keys to Emmaliene, "Ya sure that ya remember how ta drive a manual transmission?"

"Yes, Gerry," Emmaliene rolled her eyes, "You are the one who taught me."

"I did," Gerry nodded his head, "and I still got the whiplash pain and nightmares ta prove it."

Emmaliene gave a short laugh, and stepped into Gerry, locked her arms around him. He reciprocated the hug by wrapping his arms around her shoulder and pulling her close. They stood in silence for a long moment, Gerry pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"I don't like not knowin' where yer off too," He grumbled and pulled back to look her in the eyes, "But ya keep yer head down and stay safe when ya get there."

"I have a plan in place," Emmaliene reassured, "I'll let you know when we get to- There."

"See that ya do," Gerry nodded and hugged once more before stepping away.

A throat cleared behind them, and they turned to see Steve James and Sam hovering by the house. James took a single step forward and looked at Emmaliene, "We should get going before it gets much later."

Gerry watched as Emmaliene nodded and went around to the other side of the Bronco, starting the engine. He looked back just as James stopped by his side, "I've read yer file, I know what ya can do," Gerry leveled a stern gaze at James, "You keep my peanut safe, ya hear? That girl's all I got left in this world."

James' eyes softened as he listened to the sincerity in Gerry's voice. He glanced to Emmaliene, who was walking back toward them, and back to Gerry, "I promise."

* * *

They watched the Bronco shrink in the distance and eventually vanish from sight. "I heard from Fury," Steve plainly stated.

Gerry still had his eyes fixed on where he last saw the Bronco, "And?"

"He wants us to meet him," Steve explained, "Debrief on what's happened this past week."

"Where?" Sam asked.

"New York," Steve said, "He's had several others tracking HYDRA's movements, and they have some intel for us."

"Where in Manhattan?" Gerry asked, "I hate traveling. Especially right now."

"Trust me," Steve nodded, "this is the last place I want to go right now."

Sam arched an eyebrow at his friend, "The compound?"

"The what?" Gerry inquired further.

Steve heavily sighed and looked back out to the treeline, "The Avenger's compound."

* * *

They had driven for several hours, mostly in silence. James had been engrossed in reading the Athena dossier. Emmaliene had wanted to ask him questions about what it said, but she wasn't sure if she were emotionally prepared to learn more. Especially when driving.

"We should stop for food," He spoke without looking up from his reading.

Emmaliene glanced at him, "Any particular request?"

James only grunted in response.

After another hour of driving, Emmaliene pulled off the road and stopped in front of a small diner that looked like it was straight out of the midwest in the '50s. They walked in, causing a bell above the door to announce their arrival, and Emmaliene could feel James tense behind her.

"Well, good afternoon, you two," an elderly woman with short gray hair warmly greeted them, "how many will it be for lunch?"

"Just us," Emmaliene answered sweetly. The woman's smile reminded her of Marjorie. I hope Marj is doing okay; she thought as the woman sat them in a corner booth.

James silently slid into the far end of the booth, his back pressed into the corner, so he had a clear view of the entire diner. Emmaliene took a sip of her coffee as she started skimming through the menu.

"Now," the old woman started as she joined them again, pen and paper in hand, "What brings an adorable couple like you doing out here? The closest town must be 20 miles from here."

"Oh," Emmaliene blushed as she slightly shook her head, "We're n—"

"Eloping."

Emmaliene's gaze snapped up to see James offering a charming smile to the older woman, who gasped in excitement. James reached across the table and took Emmaliene's hand, his left arm strategically placed in his lap, "We've had an... Unconventional relationship," James looked over at Emmaliene, giving her hand a subtle squeeze, "We thought we'd keep to that with our wedding."

Emmaliene continued to stare at James as the woman excitedly asked their destination, "The Falls," Emmaliene answered, finally looking at her, "I always wanted a sunset wedding at Niagara Falls."

The woman clutched her heart in a way that made Emmaliene wonder if they were going to cause her to die of joy before she pulled herself back together, "Well, that is just the most romantic thing I have ever heard."

She took their orders, and Emmaliene couldn't help but chuckle as she practically skipped back to the kitchen. When she looked back at James, she saw that he had been watching the waitress as well, a soft half-smile still on his face.

She looked down to see he was still holding her hand, and she felt her cheeks flushed again. "So," she mused as he looked back to see her eyebrow arched, "Eloping?"

James exhaled a short chuckle and released her hand, taking a drink of his water, "I exaggerated for a cover story, but you have to admit," he looked at her again. She was surprised to see an entertained smirk cross his features, "We do have an unconventional relationship."

Emmaliene openly laughed for the first time since they had met, causing a warm feeling to spread across James' chest. He liked her laugh; it was bright and full of life.

"Well," Emmaliene lifted her coffee cup slightly from the table, "Cheers to that."

James tapped his water glass against her cup, and they each took a sip.

Their lunch was uneventful, and they ate, mostly, in silence. When Emmaliene reached for the check, James quickly grabbed it from her with another smirk, "My treat," he was already standing up when he leaned down closer to her ear, " _Sweetheart_."

They walked to the diner's front door, and James quickly gave the waitress cash for their meal. They were about to leave when the older woman produced a large brown bag, practically shoving it into Emmaliene's hands.

"Some more food for the road," she explained with a wide grin, "and one of our homemade apple pies."

The woman's kindness touched Emmaliene, "We couldn't possibly—"

"Hush now," She cut Emmaliene off, "it's my wedding gift to the bride and groom."

* * *

His footsteps echoed through the empty house as he walked through each room.

Searching.

He walked up the stairs and opened the doors to the master bedroom, and stopped. The red stain had long since dried, a permanent reminder of that horrible night.

Rollins hesitantly walked in behind him, "Sir?"

"She's gone," He turned around and walked from the room, barely acknowledging the other man, "But I know where she's going next."

* * *

They had gotten to the cabin near the Falls several hours ago, and Emmaliene practically disappeared into the bed. After a long day of driving, she was exhausted; but had informed James that this was only halfway to their actual destination.

He had taken several naps on the drive, so he had been doing a perimeter check around the inside and outside of the cabin. Even though they were only here for one night, he wanted to familiarize himself with an escape route if needed.

When Emmaliene finally woke up, it was with a sudden jolt as her shoulder was almost violently shaken.

"Wake up," James hissed in a low tone, "Emmaliene, you have to wake up."

She shot out of bed and met his panicked gaze; in three strides, he had walked around the bed and grabbed her arm, pulling her behind him. "We have to go."

Emmaliene felt panic rise in her chest, "What's happened?"

James didn't answer as they ran out of the back door to the cabin and into the trees, "I'll explain in a minute," he whispered back to her, weaving in and out of the trees, "We have to hurry." They paused just at the edge of the treeline, and they could hear the sound of the roaring river.

James turned around again with that similar half-smirk on his face, causing Emmaliene to feel even more confused, "Do you trust me?"

Emmaliene stared at him, incredulously," James, what is going on?"

James tilted his head, and his hair fell across his eyes, "Emmaliene..."

She let out an exasperated sigh, "Yes. I trust you."

"Close your eyes," he said.

"James? What the fu—"

He stepped forward and retook her hands, "Close. Your. Eyes."

Emmaliene closed her eyes and felt herself being led forward. The ground beneath her changed from twigs and grass to stone. She jumped slightly when she felt the metal arm wrap around her waist, and she was guided up several rocks.

"Open your eyes."

She hesitated a moment before opening her eyes. Her breath was instantly taken away at the sight of orange and red hues dancing in the mist of the water. Every so often, she felt a water droplet jump up and land on her face.

"James..." She breathed as she looked up at him and met his soft gaze.

"It's not a wedding," A soft smile spread across his face, "but the least I could do is give you a Niagara Falls sunset."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi friends! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! XOXO - Presephone


	15. What Happened?

_The guards were standing in front of the front door, the AK-47's at their sides. They nervously scanned the darkness beyond the reach of the porch light and lamp post. A snapping twig causes them both to grip their weapons tighter, trying to determine the source of the noise._

_When one of the guards turned back to his counterpart, he was horror-struck to see him falling to the ground; a jagged cut across his entire neck. When he fell to the ground, the remaining guard saw the figure of a man clad in all black, a menacing mask covering the bottom half of his face._

_He opened his mouth to scream, but before a sound could leave his throat, a dagger sunk into his neck. He fell to his knees, clutching his throat as the masked man approached._

"James!"

_After the guards were dead, he moved into the house as silent as the dead. He drew a handgun and attached the silencer as he crept down the hallway. He could hear loud voices yelling and-_

"James! I need you to wake up!"

_He flung open the door and raised his gun, pointing it directly at the head of the startled man behind the desk-_

"James... _Please..._ "

His eyes fluttered open and quickly adjusted to the dark cabin. He confusedly glanced around as he slowly remembered where he was. _Who_ he was. He looked down to find himself straddling Emmaliene on the floor.

His gaze drifted to her face just as her green eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"FUCK!" He screamed as he released his metal hand from around her throat.

He lurched backward until his back struck a wall, watching as Emmaliene gasped and coughed as air rushed back into her lungs. Tears were streaming down her face as she stayed still on the floor, taking several deep breaths before pushing herself up until she was sitting. She took another deep breath before looking up at James.

His eyes were wide in horror and his mouth agape. He was trembling as he struggled to hold her gaze. He looked to the ground, and Emmaliene could see the shame etched into his furrowed brow.

Emmaliene carefully went onto her knees and spoke no more than a whisper, "James?"

He continued to stare at the ground.

Emmaliene moved towards him, "James... I need you to look at me."

"D-don't," He shook his head, "Don't c-come closer."

"Okay," Emmaliene stopped her advance, "but I need you to look at me."

He shook his head another moment before hesitantly meeting her gaze. He could see the dark red marks on her neck, and he felt a tidal wave of guilt wash over him. He wanted to look away, but he was caught in the gaze of her green eyes.

Her eyes were soft, and her voice was low, "Five."

James shook his head again, "Emmaliene I—"

"S _top_ ," her voice was firm, but her eyes remained kind, " _Five_."

He took a long deep breath, "Rug... Couch... Table... Window... Door"

Emmaliene closed the space between them slightly, "Four."

"Wall..." James rested his head against the wall, "Jeans... Breeze… Floor."

"Three."

"River... Crickets... Ceiling fan."

"Two."

"Pine trees... Apple Pie."

Emmaliene let out a soft chuckle and glanced at the open pie on the table, "One."

"Sweat."

The heavy silence stretched into countless moments as Emmaliene continued watching James. She could feel her pulse in her neck along the heated lines where he had grabbed her.

James had his wild eyes trained on the floor as he counts the seconds of each breath he takes. He could feel her gaze on him, but he wouldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her. He felt the prickling sensation of anxiety beginning to spread across his chest again.

He silently stood up, walked to the back door of the cabin, and stepped out. He spared a glance back and found Emmaliene still kneeling on the floor, her eyes closed.

He ran.

* * *

Emmaliene didn't know how long she sat on the floor. After James had left, she continued staring at the wall as the situation replayed in her mind.

_She had been startled awake at the sound of his scream and had immediately grabbed her gun. She moved quickly into the living room, thoroughly preparing to find HYDRA agents crawling all over the cabin. But, instead, she only found James; alone on the floor. His blanket wrapped around his legs as he writhed around._

_Sweat beaded along his hairline as his eyes darted back and forth behind his eyelids. Emmaliene felt a pang of sadness seep into her chest; she knew the signs of a nightmare all too well._

_"James?" She called from the doorway of the bedroom._

_His eyes opened, and he stopped moving, but the silence remained._

_Emmaliene walked forward and kneeled next to him. She had just outstretched her hand to touch him when she felt the cold metal of his hand wrap around her throat. In the next moment, she found herself on her back, eyes wide and staring into the lifeless gaze of James._

_No, not James._

_The soldier._

"Какой дурак мешает солдатской миссии? (What kind of fool gets in the way of a soldier's mission)" _His voice was calm and mechanical. And terrifying._

 _"James," she gasped and gripped his wrist, trying to loosen his hold on her. At the mention of the name, his eyes narrowed, "_ Ты не солдат. Уже нет. (You're not the soldier. Not anymore.)"

_His emotionless eyes held her stare, but he didn't speak. His hand began to tighten, and she gasped, "James!"_

Emmaliene snapped her eyes open again and took several deep breaths. She stood up and went back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She made her way to the bathroom and flipped the light on, stepping in front of the mirror.

She gasped as she touched the irritated skin of her throat. The bruising wasn't dark; however, you could see the distinct outline of each finger. She traced the bruise with the tip of her fingernail and felt another stab of sympathy in her chest.

James could feel his hands trembling against the bark of the tree as he tried to catch his breath. _This was a mistake; he_ lectured himself; I _could've killed her._

He took the final steps forward and knelt next to the small pond. He cupped the cold water in his hands before unceremoniously splashing it against his face. He sat the rest of the way down and stretched his arms out across his knees. He stared down at his metal hand, curling and flexing the fingers as his mind continued racing.

 _She shouldn't be around me,_ he reasoned; she _should just—_

"James?"

Her gentle, questioning tone cut through his silent debate like a knife. He doesn't turn around, but he can hear her take a single step forward. He tensed and closed his eyes again,

James took a deep breath, "You should go on your own from here."

 _"What?"_ Emmaliene's voice took on an incredulous tone, "You are the one who insisted we stay together in the first place."

"That was a mistake," James shook his head and turned to face her, "It's not safe- _I'm_ not safe."

Emmaliene's eyes softened, and she took another step forward, "James, you had a nightmare. It happens. If I hadn't woken up from mine the other night who knows what-"

"It's not the same." He cut her off.

"I know," she nodded, "but it doesn't mean you need to leave. It doesn't mean that I don't..." Her voice trailed off.

"I shouldn't have put you in this situation," James shook his head and walked past her, "I should've kept my distance. You aren't safe with a monster like me."

" _James,_ " Emmaliene spun around and grabbed his metallic bicep. As soon as her hand made contact, he lurched backward as if she had burned him. Fear flashed across his eyes before finally meeting her gaze. She looked at him for a long moment before speaking again, "You are _not_ a monster."

"How can you say that?" He furrowed his brow, "I just _attacked you;_ I could have killed you without even realizing! You should already be gone. How can I keep you safe when I can't even protect you from—"

"Stop it."

In two short strides, she was in front of him; both her hands were clinging to the sides of his face. "You _are not_ a monster," He tried to pull away, but she didn't relent, reestablishing her grip on his face, "You know how I know that you aren't? _Do you?_ " His silent stare prompted her to continue.

"Monsters don't give a fuck if others see them as one."

Her words were articulate and logical, piercing through him as if lightning to a rod. He stared at her for a long moment, "We train twice as hard so you can get away if— If needed."

James took a step back, and Emmaliene dropped her arms back down to her sides. He looked away from her again and murmured, "Deal."

"Now that we're agreed," Emmaliene sighed in relief, "Let's go eat apple pie for breakfast and get back on the road."

* * *

The large conference room had a projection in the center of the table. The wall entirely made of windows had been dimmed, but you could still see the distant treeline.

"What do you mean they are off the grid?" Nick pressed a finger to his temple as he leaned back in his chair, "How can a group, using the technology they have, be untraceable?"

"Well, they were part of SHIELD," Tony explained, "Access to the same cloaking technology. But where there's a will, there's me. JARVIS is scouring the entire world for any sign of them."

"Well, you better find something soon," Nick stood up and readjusted his jacket, "I can't keep this girl safe if I don't know where these bastards are hiding out."

"About that," Tony clicked a button, and the projection vanished, the windows allowing the sunlight to stream back in, "When are you going to tell me who this mystery girl is?"

"When I think it's something you need to know," Nick turned and looked out the window, watching as a helicopter rose into the sky, "Until then, find this group. Or you'll find my boot up your ass."

"Excuse me, but—"

"Always goin' on with yer damn threats like ya mean 'em."

The pair turned to see an older man walking into the conference room with Steve and Sam trailing behind him.

"Threats?" Nick challenged, "As I recall, I beat your old ass several times."

"Only when I wanted ya too, rookie." Gerry smiled wide as the others gawked at the pair. Not used to seeing the former Director talked to like this. He stopped in front of Nick and put a hand on his shoulder, "Ya look like hell, Nick."

Nick tilted his head and then let out a chuckle, "You aren't winning any beauty contests yourself."

The pair hugged and sat back down.

"I'm sorry, what?" Tony pointed between the two of them before his eyes settled on Nick, "You know how to hug?"

Sam gave a short laugh as he and Steve sat down. Steve leaned back and gave a curt nod, "Tony."

"Boy scout," Tony looked to Sam, "Pigeon."

"Now that we're all here," Nick cleared his throat, "Let's get started."

* * *

Rollins flipped through the pages of the yellow notebook as he sat in the SUV. He glanced up every once and a while to see Rumlow chatting with the older woman outside of the diner. She chuckled at something Rumlow had said and lightly smacked his shoulder. Rollins rolled his eyes as Rumlow casually walked back and climbed into the SUV.

"Well?" The third passenger asked from the backseat.

"She hasn't changed her plan so far," Rumlow started the SUV and pulled back onto the road, "They were in here yesterday. Apparently, the 'cutest couple she ever did see' are eloping to Niagara Falls."

"That's gotta be a lie," Rollins chimed in.

"It's not," The backseat passenger corrected, "After she was kidnapped, it was suggested that it be the first stop in her escape plan. She'll have two more stops unless we can get to her first."

"Suggested by who?" Rollins questioned.

"Pierce," Rumlow answered.

* * *

They had driven in silence until they had gotten to Toronto. Once they reached the more rural area on the city's outskirts, Emmaliene had parked behind the small house, and she and James quickly moved inside. It was small, with only one bedroom and a bathroom with a small kitchen. A small fireplace with a couch sat in front of it; a lone quilt draped over the back.

James insisted on doing a perimeter check, so Emmaliene busied herself with making a late lunch for the pair. She had arranged to have some fresh groceries delivered, knowing that the next leg of her plan would have her here for the next few days.

She started cutting the vegetables while the meat began cooking on the stove. The delicious aroma began to fill the small house as she slowly sank back into a relaxed state of mind. For the first time since her former Godfather's death and her life turned upside down, she felt a semblance of peace.

James didn't need to do as in-depth of a perimeter search as he now found himself conducting. He needed to clear his head, to just be alone for a while. He still didn't fully trust himself after what occurred this morning.

The area wasn't as wooden as her home in Maryland, but it hid the house well enough from the main road. They would be able to see any vehicles that approached.

As he reached for the back door handle, he was immediately assaulted by the aroma of roasting potatoes and carrots. He could hear the sizzle of the meat just as the scent hit him. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

_"James Buchanan Barnes! You're going to burn my damn kitchen to the ground!" The woman shrieked as smoke filled the room._

_James quickly opened the windows and began fanning the door, "It's under control!"_

_"I asked you to watch the stew!"_

_"I'm sorry, Mama," James tried not to laugh as he fanned out the last of the smoke, "I got distracted, shooting marbles with Steve."_

_"Speaking of," his mom looked out the open front door, "You better go check on that boy before he coughs up a lung."_

"James?"

_James looked out to see Steve bent over while he coughed, "Shit!" He ran down the stairs to check on his friend._

_"Language!" He heard his mother call after him, "Don't make me beat you with a spoon."_

"James?"

He snapped his eyes open and jerked his arm back as he felt a warm hand connect with his skin. Emmaliene jumped back as well and had a concerned look as she spoke again, "Are you okay?"

His eyes darted around to find himself hovering in the open doorway, "W-What?"

"You opened the door," Emmaliene explained, "then you just froze."

"Sorry," James exhaled and moved into the kitchen and closed the door behind him, "I— umm... I was remembering."

"Remembering?" Emmaliene questioned as she stirred the pot on the stove, "Remembering what?"

"My mom," he sat down at the table. A soft smile crept onto his face, "Steve and I were playing marbles and weren't paying attention... We burned her stew," he let out a soft chuckle, "Thought Steve was going to die from the smoke. Then I thought that Mama was gonna beat me for burning the potatoes."

He looked up to see Emmaliene watching him with brightened eyes, "Did she?"

"No," he chuckled again, and Emmaliene detected a subtle accent long-forgotten creeping back into his voice, "But she did hit me with that spoon for laughing at her so much over the stew."

Emmaliene laughed, "Well, I'll keep that in mind and make sure you stay out of the kitchen."

James met her amused gaze again, "Deal. I'll stick to cleaning dishes."

"Man after my own heart," Emmaliene joked and turned back around and pulled several bowls from the shelf. She ladled the stew into the bowls and set them on the table, "This was my mom's recipe. She always made it whenever I was sad or having a bad day."

They ate in comfortable silence, James going back for several servings until hardly any stew left for Emmaliene to have a second bowl. He hesitated as she finished and took the bowls to the sink, "You could give my Mama a run for her money with that stew."

"Well, I will take that as a compliment," Emmaliene laughed as she threw away the paper towels and brought the silverware and empty pot over to the sink, and reached for the dish soap.

It disappeared in front of her, and she looked over to see James looking at her with an arched eyebrow, "The deal was I do dishes."

"Alright," Emmaliene raised her hands in mock surrender, "I won't fight you."

She backed off and sat cross-legged on the couch in front of the fireplace, tucking her feet underneath her. She got lost in her thoughts as she heard the dishes clatter in the water.

She felt the couch shift as James sat down next to her. A wave of melancholy swept over her as she continued staring out the window. Without a word, she stood up and walked to the fireplace, her eyes scanning the bricks that made up the chimney. She reached up to a brick that was a shade darker than the others and wiggled it free. She reached into the hole and grabbed a cellphone from inside, and turned it on.

Emmaliene could feel James watching her closely, but she didn't look his way. She opened up the contacts and dialed the only number, switching the phone to speakerphone as it began to ring.

"Emm—"

_"Signora?"_

The voice, on the other end, answered after the second ring.

 _"Quando vola l'uccello? (When does the bird soar?"_ Emmaliene's eyes flashed to James.

 _"Puoi aspettare tre giorni? (Can you wait three days?)"_ The male voice asked.

 _"Due, al massimo. (Two, at most)"_ Emmaliene replied, _"E in arrivo una tempesta. (A storm is on the way)."_

_"Riaccendi il telefono domani all'alba. (Turn the phone back on at dawn tomorrow.)"_

The line disconnected.

Emmaliene turned the phone off and placed it on the table in front of the couch. The silence was heavy between them for a long moment before he finally spoke, "Emmy?"

She turned to look at him, and plainly stated, "The final step in the plan is getting out of the country— Italy."

James watched her for a long moment, "What happened to you?"

Emmaliene looked away and stood up, slowly beginning to pace. She wrapped her arms across herself and took a deep breath, "Four years ago, I was kidnapped. Mercenaries broke into my apartment in Manhattan and grabbed me. They must've known that Alex was my Godfather and demanded an obscene amount of money as well as information that they wanted."

Emmaliene turned away and looked out the window; she saw lightning flash in the distance, "I was held in a warehouse for two weeks. They… They tortured me and sent a new video to Alex every few days. Alex and a team of his agents found me right before the men had threatened to—"

Emmaliene wiped a tear from her eye, "After I got home, I stayed with Gerry for a while after that, Alex stayed with me in Manhattan until we decided that I should get out of the city. A fresh start somewhere else."

"That's why you moved to DC."

Emmaliene silently nodded her head, "Once I moved into my townhouse, we spent a lot of time reconstructing it with the panic room and forming the escape plan.

"The plan was supposed to be if mercenaries ever came after me again. I never imagined that I would use it for something worse," Emmaliene continued staring out the window as she felt James stop next to her. She knew that he was watching her, but she couldn't meet his gaze, "I was always terrified that they would find me again and finish what they started. But if HYDRA gets me, I don't know what they'll..."

Emmaliene trailed off, but James knew what she would've said. He hesitated only a moment before he reached up and turned her to face him. She wouldn't look at him, so he slowly raised his hand and cupped the left side of her face. He wiped away a tear as it dropped from her eye as she finally met his gaze, "They will need to kill me before I let them take you."

Emmaliene closed her eyes as more tears trailed down her face. She could hear the sincerity in his words, and it caused her heart to soar and break simultaneously. She momentarily leaned into his touch before stepping into him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

James tensed at the action, unsure what to do. He couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him. He tentatively wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. He relaxed slightly as Emmaliene seemed to nuzzle in closer to him and his grip tightened.

"Well, let's not make that our first plan."

She felt him chuckle as his cheek settled onto the top of her head, "Deal."

* * *

As the sun was setting, Gerry tapped his fingers impatiently against his knee as he sat on the bench. The shade of the tree did little to stop the heat. He looked out to the treeline, not knowing what he was looking for, but nonetheless searching.

"This seat is taken?"

Gerry looked up and met the eyepatched gaze, "Never for you."

The pair sat in silence for a long while; both lost in their thoughts. "I didn't see it, Nick," Gerry mused, "He was in front of me fer Emmy's whole life, and I didn't see it."

Nick sighed and leaned back against the bench further, "Neither did I," He held out an opened beer, and Gerry took it, "He was just that good."

The shrill ring of a phone shattered the heavy silence between them. Gerry almost jumped out of his skin as he dug into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he looked at the caller ID.

_**RESTRICTED** _

He answered the call and silently held the phone to his ear.

There was a long pause before, "Gerry?"

The old man exhaled a breath he had been holding, "Ya have no idea how happy I am ta hear yer voice, Peanut."

"Are you doing okay?" She asked.

"Don't ya worry about me," Gerry dismissed her question, "I'm at some fancy compound with those Avenging folks. I'm here with Nick. Can I put ya on speaker?"

"Sure."

Nick clicked the phone to the speaker and held it between the two of them, "Go ahead Peanut."

"We made it to our second stop," Emmaliene started to explain, "We're in a rural area outside of Toronto."

Gerry silently nodded, "Ya plannin' on stayin' there?"

"No," She continued, "I have a call into contact of mine. We're going to be getting on a plane in the next few days."

"To where?" Nick chimed in.

"I don't think I should say yet, not until we're there." Emmaliene said, "Hey, Nick."

"Good to hear your voice, Emmaliene," Nick said, "I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Me, too," You could hear the sadness laced into her voice.

"We've been trying to track Rumlow's movements," Nick began to explain, "but he's off the grid. But we're keeping our ears and eyes out for any sign of them."

"Thank you, Nick," Emmaliene said.

"Of course," Nick nodded, "I'd feel a lot better if you would come to the compound."

There was a long silence before she spoke up again, "I won't put you guys in that position."

"Emmy," Nick countered, "Of all people to put in that situation, these are the most well equipped."

Another long silence, "I'll call you again when we get to our last destination. If you don't hear from us after five days..."

"I'll get Stark ta turn yer phone back on and ping yer spot," Gerry stated, leaving no room for argument.

" _Stark?_ " Emmaliene groaned, "I wish you hadn't brought him into this; he's not exactly my biggest fan."

"He doesn't know that it's you specifically," Nick explained, "Just an asset that we need to make sure HYDRA doesn't get their hands on."

"Well, that'll be fun for him when he finds out," Emmaliene scoffed, "I'll make sure to keep you in the loop as much as I can, Nick."

Nick silently nodded his head again, "Please do, Emmy."

"Gerry? Can you take me off speakerphone?"

Gerry glanced at Nick and gave him a sympathetic look. He clicked the phone off the speaker as he stood up and walked a little further from Nick, "I'm here Peanut."

A long silence.

When Emmaliene finally spoke again, Gerry could hear the slight tremor to her voice, "If anything happens, Gerry-"

"Don't even think it, Emmaliene," Gerry stated firmly, "We'll hunt these bastards down, and then you'll come home."

"I love you, Gerry."

He sighed and took on a somber tone, "I love you, peanut."

* * *

Emmaliene turned the phone off and tossed it on top of her bag in the corner. She then pulled herself to the center of the bed, wrapping her arms around her legs and pulling them close to her chest.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened with a creak. She looked up when she felt James stop at the edge of the bed. "I let Gerry know that we're here. That I'd call him again once we get to our last destination."

"Good," He nodded, "Gerry was probably losing it, not hearing from you."

"Almost," Emmaliene chuckled, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I just finished a check of the grounds again," James continued, "I was gonna try and get a few hours of sleep. You should, too."

Emmaliene silently nodded in agreement. James hovered for another moment before turning away. He had just reached the doorway when he heard her whisper, "James?"

He turned to see her sad eyes looking at him. He furrowed his brow, and then she continued, "Will you..." She seemed to shift nervously, "Will you stay?"

James felt a strange feeling rise in his chest, "You mean..."

Emmaliene just looked back at him.

He hesitated in the doorway and closely watched her. Silently he moved towards the edge of the bed as she moved to one side and climbed under the blanket. He sat at the edge and removed his boots and t-shirt, leaving him in jeans and an undershirt. He covered himself in the blankets and shifted to get as comfortable as possible before closing his eyes.

For the first time in years, neither of them worried about what dreams lurked behind their closed eyes.

* * *

The loud shouts broke through the silence, causing Gerry to jerk awake in his bed.

"What the-" He mumbled as he got to his feet and opened his bedroom door.

The moment he stepped into the hallway, he saw Steve run by with his shield strapped to his back. Gerry quickly followed after him until he found himself outside.

"Nick!" He yelled over the quinjet engine, "What the hell is goin' on?"

Nick turned around and met Gerry's gaze, "JARVIS finally got a hit on Rumlow. You and I are going to stay here to monitor the situation. Stark, Rogers, and Wilson are going to intercept them."

"Where'd they finally turn up?" Gerry called out as the quinjet rose into the darkened sky.

Nick hesitated for a long moment and heaved a sigh, "Toronto."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please review! Thank you, dear readers!  
> XOXO - Presephone


	16. Misdirection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, dear readers! Enjoy this new chapter. XOXO -- Presephone

Emmaliene stood up from the couch with her cup of tea and walked back to the window. She looked into the night and took a deep breath, relishing in the peace of the night. She almost screamed when a hand dropped onto her shoulder, and she spun around.

" _Seriously_ ," she stared at him, "I'm getting that bell for your neck."

James just chuckled softly, "I'm sorry."

"Are you?" She tilted her head, "I'm starting to think you enjoy this torment."

With a shrug of his shoulders, he smirked, "Maybe a little."

Emmaliene playfully punched him in the stomach, and he grabbed her wrist with a chuckle. He pulled her arm away and looked at her with a playful smirk. They both smiled, and Emmaliene rolled her eyes, "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you have quite the friendly personality."

"Lies," James arched his eyebrow at her, "I'm cold-hearted and mean."

Emmaliene looked at him incredulously, "You ate half of an apple pie while giggling about how much you love pie."

"That was… Uummm—" James struggled to think of a lie fast enough, "A misdirection."

Emmaliene arched an eyebrow, "Who exactly were you _pretending_ to be?"

His eyes darted back and forth between her entertained stare, "Someone who loves pie."

James felt a swell in his chest at the sound of her laughter as it echoed. He realized, not for the first time, how much he loved the rich sound of her laugh—only accented more by the soft moonlight accenting her green eyes. The longer he looked into them, and he noticed the subtle flecks of brown that surrounded the pupil. When he glanced away, he saw that he was still holding onto her wrist. He hesitated a moment and moved his hand down to hers and slowly laced their fingers together.

When he looked back up, he realized that she had looked down at where their hands met, and a moment later, she met his gaze once more. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she brought her other hand up to his cheek. At the feel of her hand against his skin, he unconsciously leaned into her touch further.

He stepped closer and pressed his forehead against hers, and closed his eyes, relishing the moment. Emmaliene closed her eyes as she felt James' warm breath on her face. She smiled to herself as her fingers traced the line of his growing beard, and she felt him smile.

"James…"

Her voice floated into his ear like a melody, and he opened his eyes to meet her softened gaze, a look in those green eyes that he had never seen before caused his heart to flutter. He leaned in closer to her, and his lips lightly brushed against hers as he whispered, "Emmy…"

White light illuminated the cabin as the window they were standing in front of shattered. James wrapped his arm around Emmaline's waist and pushed her behind the couch. He spun back just in time to see the flash grenade soar through the shattered window. He quickly used his metal hand to bat it into the corner before diving on top of Emmaliene as the grenade detonated, followed soon by the sound of the cabin door splintering and breaking inward.

There were several shouts to show their hands, and Emmaliene felt James's weight lifted off her. She quickly got to her knees and spun around to see three AR-15's trained on James, one digging into his temple and the other two pressed against the back of his skull. His eyes were wide as they darted around the room, but he made sure to keep his hands semi-raised in front of himself. _I can't risk her safety,_ he desperately thought.

As soon as Emmaliene had spun around, she was hoisted to her feet as two men clad in black tactical gripped her upper arms. Her fearful eyes met James, who was most likely doing calculations in his head of how they were going to get out of this mess.

She tried to pull away and was struck with the butt of a handgun. Pain shot through her cheek, causing her to scream as she felt her cheek slice open, and blood began to trickle down her face. Emmaliene could hear James struggling against the armed guards, and she willed herself to open her eyes.

"James," she rasped. Although her voice was barely above a whisper, he immediately stilled and looked down at her, " _Please_ , don't."

"How sweet."

Emmaliene cringed as she saw Rumlow step into view behind James with a villainous grin, "This has been quite a fun game of hide-and-seek, but I think it's time for you to stop fighting us. Because you'll never get away."

"I don't even know what you _want_ , Rumlow," Emmaliene pleaded as she looked up at him.

"I told you," Rumlow crouched down in front of her. She flinched away as he twirled a scarred finger into her hair before he harshly gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him again, "Call me Brock."

Emmaliene threw her head forward and connected squarely with Rumlow's nose, and he lurched back with a scream. He regained his footing and back-handed Emmaliene across the face, opening her fresh wound even further as she fell to her knees.

" **GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER!"**

Rumlow gave Emmaliene a malevolent smirk before spinning on his heels and looking at James for the first time, "Oh, I didn't see you there." Rumlow stood back up and stood toe-to-toe with James, "Nice to see you again." James clenched his jaw but remained still. Rumlow slowly circled the former-assassin, "It'll be nice to have you back home, _Soldat_."

Without warning, he punched James square in the jaw. A loud crash echoed through the cabin as James hit the ground; Emmaliene could see the wooden floor splintered where his metal arm had struck.

"Leave him _alone_!" Emmaliene screamed.

Rumlow spun so quickly that Emmaliene didn't know what was happening until she felt the back of his hand connect with her still bleeding cheek. With a yelp, her head jerked to the side, and fresh tears welled in her eyes.

In a flash, Rumlow was tackled to the ground with James on top of him. With the agents momentarily distracted, Emmaliene seized the opportunity and ripped a small handgun from the agent's ankle standing to the right of where she had been forced to her knees. She shot him in the foot and turned to shoot the agent on her left in the arm. They both fell to their knees around her as she quickly stood up.

She looked over to see that Rumlow had managed to gain the upper hand and was strangling James. In two strides, she was behind him, pressing the gun against the base of his skull. The room stilled instantly, and Emmaliene spat every word she spoke, "Leave. Him. Alone."

Rumlow released James and slowly raised his hands, "Carefully consider your next move, Lienie."

She pressed the gun harder into his head, " _Don't_ call me that. You are the one with the gun to his head."

"So are you."

Emmaliene glanced behind her to see Rollins holding a gun close to her head. She looked back to Rumlow, who had moved off of James, "You won't kill me. You need me for whatever disgusting plan you are working on."

Rumlow slowly stood up, keeping his hands raised, "True, we need you alive. But that doesn't mean you'll remain unharmed." An evil glint crossed Rumlow's expression as he smirked at Emmaliene, "Better start running, Lienie."

Her brow furrowed, "What are you talking—"

Rumlow interrupted her with a whisper, " _желание (Longing)."_

James gave a strangled gasp, and Emmaline's head snapped in his direction.

" _Ржавый (Rusted)"_

"No…" James breathed.

Emmaliene became unsettled at James' ever-widening eyes. She glared daggers at Rumlow, who hadn't stopped watching her, "What are you doing to him?"

" _Семнадцать (Seventeen)."_

James dropped to his knees, releasing a guttural scream as he clung to his head.

"STOP IT!" Emmaliene screamed and tried to move towards James. She was pulled back and shoved towards the blasted-in doorway. When she looked up, she saw Rollins giving her an evil grin, "He told you to run."

" _Рассвет (Daybreak)."_

Another scream had Emmaliene looking to James again. This time, his pained eyes were trained on her, "Go."

"James—"

" **GO!"** James screamed, "If he finishes the words, I'll do whatever they—"

" _Печь (Furnace)"_

Finally realizing what was happening, Emmaliene took a final look into James' eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She ran.

* * *

Their SUV sped down the rural road as the JARVIS tracking beacon continued to trace the route they took. Tony had engaged the autopilot of the vehicle to get all of his weapon attachments for his suit ready. He glanced around the car as Steve and Sam were holstering their weapons. He looked back just in time to see a bedraggled form run out from the wooded side of the road.

The tires screeched as the vehicle jerked to a stop, causing the other two men to look up in surprise. Tony stared in shock at the last person he expected to see "Harrington?"

Steve and Sam were out of the SUV before Tony had finished his question. He quickly followed as he watched Steve place his arms around the terrified girl. "Hey— _Hey!_ Emmaliene, calm down… You're safe," The Captain soothed, "What happened?"

"HYD-HYDRA they f-f-found us," Emmaliene couldn't stop trembling and looked up with surprise when Tony wrapped a jacket around her.

"Emmaliene, look at me," Sam stepped in, "Where is Bucky?"

"He told me to run," Emmaliene took a deep breath and looked up at Steve, "They were saying his trigger words."

Before the magnitude of her words could sink in, they heard the undeniable cock of a gun, causing all four to turn and look behind them. Steve immediately moved Emmaliene behind him while Tony moved next to him to block her from the sight in front of them entirely.

The Winter Soldier stood in the middle of the road, a semi-automatic rifle in one hand and a familiar Desert Eagle in the other. His gaze was devoid of emotion and was focused solely on Emmaliene.

"Captain," Tonya whispered without looking away from the soldier he'd read up on in the quinjet, "I need you and Sam to take Emmaliene and get her into the SUV. JARVIS will get you safely back to the quinjet."

"Not gonna happen, Tony," Steve replied, shaking his head, "Bucky's my—"

"Best friend," Tony finished for him, "I know. _Everyone knows._ But seeing as that makes you emotionally compromised, I think it would be best for you to keep Ms. Harrington safe. Take the Pigeon with you should the extra Birdman-power be needed."

"What about you?" Sam asked.

"Did you forget already, Dodo?" Tony almost scoffed as he punched a button on the side of his watch. From under the SUV, several pieces of metal soared out and began attaching themselves to the billionaire, "I'm Iron Man."

Sam grabbed Emmaliene by the arm, and she began following him; they had only made it to the front of the SUV when a bullet bounced off the hood of the car. Steve stopped in his tracks by the driver's side door as Emmaliene spun around to see a Desert Eagle aimed in their direction; more specifically, aimed at Sam.

The Winter Soldier spoke with almost a robotic tone as he took a single step forward, " _Она идет со мной. (She comes with me.)"_

" _Нет.(No),"_ Emmaliene stepped in front of Sam, causing the Soldier to slightly lower his gun, " _Я не буду. (I won't.)._ Sam, get in the car. I'm right behind you."

After a moment's hesitation, Sam got into the backseat of the SUV after opening the front passenger door for Emmaliene to be able to get in quickly. "Tony?" Emmaliene questioned.

"Emmy?" He shot back.

"Don't kill him."

"Of course not," Tony agreed easier than she expected, "I am looking forward to the conversation you and I will have after this little hiccup is settled."

"That makes one of us."

Emmaliene held the Soldier's gaze as she moved backward and climbed into the SUV. She mouthed something to the driver that he couldn't hear, and the SUV instantly turned around and began speeding off. When he fully raised his gun and began moving forward, the man in the metal suit stepped in his path.

"Slow down there, Tin Man," Tony raised an arm towards him, and the sensor in his palm lit up, "Why don't you and I team-up and take out those flying monkeys that are fucking with your mind?"

The Soldier released a barrage of bullets from the semi-automatic that all pinged off the suit as he started walking forward again.

Tony sighed and armed his first weapon, "I guess we're going to stay in Oz then, heartless-wonder."

The Soldier stopped far enough away to stay out of the Iron Man's reach, " _Уйди с моего пути, или я убью тебя. (Get out of my way, or I will kill you)."_

"According to my translator, that was very rude," Tony relaxed his stance, "I've done a lot of reading up on you, Sergeant Barnes. Steve has not shut up about you, even before he found out you were a fellow popsicle.

"Even if I don't know how the good 'ole Captain managed to break through that brainwashing, I do know what's helped our team members," Tony tilted his mask-covered head to the side, "A nice hard smack to the head."

" _Вы не сможете подойти достаточно близко, чтобы попытаться. (You won't be able to get close enough to try.)"_

"Oh," Tony shrugged, "I didn't say that I would be the one to hit you."

The Soldier felt a hard strike to the base of his neck before his world went black.

"About damn time," The face of Tony's mask lifted, "I was having a hard time thinking of another Wizard of Oz reference."

Clint just gave a sharp exhale from holding his breath, " _You_ try sneaking up behind a super-assassin with 37 confirmed kills that we can trace back to him."

"Just sayin'," Tonys' suit had begun to disconnect from him as another SUV rolled to a stop, the doors automatically opening, "Natasha would've done it in half the time."

Clint rolled his eyes, "Shut up and help me lift his ass into the back."

* * *

They had made it back to downtown Toronto in record time and pulled into the non-descript parking garage. To anyone passing by, they would just see an abandoned building, none guessing that a half-billion-dollar quinjet sat cloaked on its roof.

The trio quickly exited the SUV after the order was given to JARVIS to prepare the quinjet for departure. They began their ascent up to the roof and stopped halfway up at the sound of a door opening. Steve removed his shield from his back as Sam unholstered two guns, giving one over to Emmaliene.

"You're blocked both ways, Cap," Rumlow's voice echoed through the stairwell, "We saw that SUV speeding away and assumed that you'd managed to get away from the Asset." Steve clenched his jaw at how they referred to Bucky as Rumlow continued, "Looks like we were right. Come one, Cap… We don't want to, but we _will_ kill you to get her."

"You know what, Brock," Steve sighed as he glanced to Sam, who was finishing hooking Emmaliene to his suit, "I'm getting _really_ sick of you trying to kill me."

Sam dropped his flash grenade down the rest of the way with a final nod while Steve batted his flash grenade up to where Rumlow's voice had come from at the top. Steve began sprinting the rest of the way up the stairwell and heard Sam activate his wings. There was a small yelp from Emmaliene as Sam started the short ascent to the stairwell's top. Steve fought through the agents that he came across, trying to avoid killing any of them.

Sam reached the top of the stairwell with his gun raised and fired directly at Rumlow when he came into view. The HYDRA agent, wearing a bulletproof vest, collapsed to the ground due to the force of the shot, giving Sam and Emmaliene just enough time to reach the door to the roof.

The trio burst onto the roof as Sam pulled a pin from the grenade in his hand. He tossed it down the stairwell and slammed the door behind them. They were almost to the quinjet when Sam felt a bullet penetrate his armor and sink into his shoulder, and he fell to the ground with a pained curse.

"Keep running!" Steve ordered Emmaliene as he slowed to help Sam.

Emmaliene turned her sights back to the quinjet but slowed her pace as the ramp began to lower, and a familiar face emerged. The bruising around his eyes and nose were still fresh and seemed to enhance the menacing glare he shot at her as she came to a full stop.

"Miss me?" Rollins asked when he was standing in the middle of the ramp.

"Kinda like a toothache," Emmaliene shot back, "You notice it's gone, but it doesn't necessarily mess up your day."

"You know what, Harrington," Rollins reached into his pocket, "I'm getting sick of that mouth of yours."

Emmaline's breath caught in her throat when she saw the remote in his hand.

"Not so mouthy now," An evil smirk spread across Rollin's face, "Let's get you to shut up for a few minutes."

 _No_ , Emmaliene screamed in her head as he pressed the yellow button. They were going to activate her and make her do horrible things to her friends. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting them. She looked around the roof and saw her answer; _I won't let them control me again._

She glanced back to see Steve and Sam moving slowly towards her, and Steve's brow furrowed at the look on her face, "Emmaliene?"

"Tell Gerry I'm sorry," She felt a tear slip down her cheek, "Tell him that I love him."

Before Steve could respond, Emmaliene began sprinting. She heard several shouts calling after her. She felt the familiar sensation of her head being submerged underwater. She knew that there were only precious seconds left before she would faint and pushed herself forward. She saw the edge of the building and closed her eyes for one moment; _I'm sorry, James_.

She reached the side of the building and jumped.


	17. Not Allowed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you for your beautiful reviews! They are so motivating to me! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! XOXO - Presephone

**3 YEARS EARLIER**

_Emmaliene screamed as she fell, the wind whipping around her as the ground rapidly approached. She was suddenly jerked upward, and the remaining air in her lungs rushed out. When she had finally caught her breath, she began laughing as she clung to the straps of the parachute._

_She looked over to where Niagara Falls roared below her and smiled to herself. She had always loved waterfalls, and this one was her favorite. She heard another laugh and looked over to see Lucia gliding down next to her._

_The feeling of floating back down to the earth below brought a sense of peace to Emmaliene that she had longed for since she had moved to D.C. Her business was finally taking off, and she had started to make a small group of friends._

_She didn't jump out of her skin when a car backfired or continuously looked over her shoulder anymore. The panic room had been finished, and she finally felt safe in her own home again._

_But the nightmares remained._

_She braced herself as the ground came closer and fell to her knees on impact. A few moments later, she was standing up, jogging over to where Lucia had just landed._

_"È stato fantastico! (That was amazing!)" Emmaliene proclaimed as she hugged her friend._

_"Si," Lucia nodded, "Ma non farlo mai più. (But let's never do that again)."_

_"Agreed!" Emmaliene laughed, "Come on, let's go find—"_

_A harsh voice cut her off by emphasizing every word._

_"_ Emmaliene. Anastasia. Harrington _."_

_Emmaliene cringed. She felt like a little kid getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Except, this time, that cookie jar was skipping town and driving six hours away with your best friend without telling your legal guardian. She took a deep breath and turned around._

_Alexander Pierce was standing on the tarmac of the skydiving business. He wore his signature three-piece suit and stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Emmaliene could feel his glare even through his dark sunglasses. His mouth was set in a hard line as he continued to stare at the girls._

_Emmaliene sighs, "Hey, Alex."_

" _No," He shook his head, "You don't get to_ 'Hey, Alex' _me right now, young lady."_

"Signor Pierce—" _Lucia began._

" _Lucia," Alex interrupted her calmly, "Your brother, Dante, is in the second vehicle. You should go join him."_

_Lucia hesitated a moment as she looks at Emmaliene, who just nods. Alex partially turns and watches as Lucia walks to the black SUV. He waits until she's in the vehicle and shuts the door before he turns back to Emmaliene. He walks over to where she is standing, removing his sunglasses and putting them into his jacket's breast pocket. He stopped right in front of her and put his hands into his pockets._

_Emmaliene could hear how upset he was even as he spoke calmly, "Do you have any idea the fear I've been living in for the last eighteen hours?"_

" _I'm sorry," Emmaliene murmured._

" _Sorry, doesn't cut it this time, Emmaliene," Alex put a hand on the side of her face so she would look up at him, "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you, Lienie-bug."_

_Emmaliene felt stinging at the back of her eyes right before Alex pulled her into a tight hug, "You're not allowed to scare me like that again."_

* * *

James could feel that he was moving, but he, himself, was not able to move. He opened his eyes and was looking at the roof of a vehicle. When he tried to sit up further, he realized he couldn't. Glancing down, he saw several chains crisscrossed over his chest and legs. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and dropping his head back to the floor.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."

He opened his eyes again to see a man wearing sunglasses and looking back at him.

James' voice took on a threatening tone, "You know I can snap through these chains, right?"

"Please don't," Another voice called from the front of the car, "I don't like people breaking my things."

"What he's trying to say is," the other man looked at James again, "We had to make sure that when you woke up that you were… Well, _you_."

"The soldier's gone," James replied, "If that's what you mean."

"In that case, I'm Clint Barton; very nice to meet you." Clint smiled and produced a key over the back of the seat, "Are you going to attack us if I unlock those?"

"Where's Emmaliene?" James asked.

"I'll take that as a no," Clint smirked and leaned over the seat to unlock the multiple padlocks around James, "We can't stop, so climb on up."

After James was comfortably seated, he asked again, "Where's Emmaliene?"

"In the city, with Rogers and Wilson," The man driving glanced in the rearview mirror, "I'm Tony Stark."

"Stark?" James repeated.

"Yeah," Tony glanced back again, "Why?"

"No reason," James looked out at the rapidly approaching Toronto skyline, "I just knew your father."

"I've heard," Tony mumbled.

James sighed, "What about the HYDRA agents that were back in the cabin?"

"That's why we're rushing back to the city," Clint explained, "We saw a helicopter take off right after we finished getting you into the back of the SUV. We think they're going after them."

* * *

Tony turned down the alley behind the abandoned building, and bullets immediately began to ricochet off the front of the vehicle. Tony slammed on the breaks and tapped the center of the steering wheel. To James' disbelief, he watched as Tony's seat moved back and opened up as his Iron Man suit began attaching to him.

When his suit was complete, the front part of the roof slid open as Tony glanced back to the pair in the back seat, "Clint, you know where the guns are. I'll get to the roof." Then he stood up and launched out of the vehicle.

"Tony loves exiting," Clint sighed as he began reaching under his seat and produced a suitcase, handing it to James.

James opened the case to find a dismantled semi-automatic, and he quickly began assembling the weapon. Clint handed him a magazine that he immediately loaded as bullets would occasionally strike the vehicle. He put two more magazines into his cargo pants as Clint gave him several more weapons, and he strapped them around himself.

They opened their doors and sprinted into the parking garage eliminating agents that they encountered along the way. When they reached the sixth-floor landing, they were forced to push into the parking garage as a grenade landed by their feet.

 _Shit_ , James cursed in his head. The stairs had ended two floors above them, meaning they were almost to the roof. He could hear the heavy footsteps above him, but then they seemed to stop. He held his breath as he could barely hear murmured voices. He began to hear rapidly moving steps leading to the edge of the building, followed by a scream, causing James' blood to freeze in his veins.

" **NO!** " Steve screamed, " **EMMALIENE, DON'T DO IT!** "

James felt his heart stop as he sprinted to the edge of the parking garage.

* * *

Tony came over the edge of the parking garage to a chaotic scene. Steve helped a bleeding Sam move towards the quinjet, where an unknown man was standing on the loading dock. Emmaliene seemed to be talking to the man. Tony chose to focus on the swarm of agents emerging from the roof-access door, led by a familiar, albeit marred, face.

"Agent Rumlow," Tony stopped in front of the group, which halted at the sight of Iron Man, still hovering above the ground, "I thought His Holy Captainess had dropped a building on you."

"Out of my way, Stark," Rumlow growled and began advancing towards them.

Tony immediately raise both arms, and various weapons popped out of his forearms, "Not so fast, Scarface." Rumlow and his men froze again, "You have been very annoying, and I think it's time for a nap."

Without another word, several blue-lit metal pieces, similar to a metallic firefly, launched from his left arm and attached themselves to the agents. Tony watched as each agent was delivered a non-lethal electric shock, causing them to fall to the ground, unconscious.

Tony's head jerked to the side as he heard Steve scream. He followed the Captain's terrified gaze just as Emmaliene disappeared over the edge of the building.

* * *

Emmaliene didn't scream when she jumped. She didn't know if it was her adrenaline or not, but it immediately felt like her senses returned, full force, as she began to fall.

 _Gerry would understand_ , she told herself, _James would understand._

She felt a sense of peace wash over her as the ground rapidly approached. She closed her eyes as the wind rushed around her.

Then she felt the full force of the hit.

 _No_ , she thinks as the wind is knocked out of her, _that's not right_.

She feels the metal of his arms shift and locks into place around her waist as he grunted at the impact of hitting her. Emmaliene unconsciously wraps her arms around his neck and pulls her closer. She opens her eyes, and she sees James point a weird gun towards the building as they continue to descend towards the ground.

She looks up just as the grappling hook pierces through the concrete of the parking garage, and the two of them are jerked upward. His grip tightens further around her as they swing towards the concrete structure. Seconds before Emmaliene thought that they would smash into the concrete, James released his grip on the gun, and they swung into the opening of the parking garage.

He wrapped his other arm around her as they rolled over the concrete flooring until they came to a stop. They were both breathing heavily, and Emmaliene opened her eyes and looks up at him, "James?"

He mumbled softly and pressed his forehead against hers.

Emmaliene strained but couldn't hear him, "What did you say?"

His eyes snapped open and met Emmaline's gaze; then he closed his eyes again.

At first, the kiss was urgent. Almost desperate. James kissed her fiercely as he tried to pull her closer. Emmaliene immediately returned the kiss, her fingers weaving into the hair at the base of his neck. The kiss soon turned into something more tender and caring, James' metal hand sliding up her back until he held the back of her neck.

It seemed as soon as it began, it had ended. James was pressing his forehead against Emmaline's again as they caught their breath for a second time. "I said," James whispered and placed another chaste kiss on her lips, "You're not allowed to die on me."

After another brief kiss, James helped Emmaliene up from the ground, and they turned to see Steve, Clint, and Sam emerge from the stairwell and sprinted towards them.

"You are one ballsy bitch," Sam smirked as they stopped in front of them, "Don't ever do that again."

James couldn't help but scoff, "Where are all of the HYDRA agents?"

"Unconcious," Steve answered, "Tony gave all of them a nice jolt of a taser."

"Speaking of," Emmaliene mused, "Where is the pompous billionaire?"

"Pompous?" The voice caused all of them to turn and see the Iron Man mask slide up as Tony landed on the inside of the parking garage, "Is that any way to thank your savior?"

"My _savior_ ," Emmaliene stared at him incredulously, "As I recall, it was James who jumped off a building to catch me."

" _After_ , I had fixed him from his Manchurian Candidate-ness."

"Excuse me?" Clint chimed in, "Who had to sneak up behind him?"

" _Anyways_ ," Steve cut in, "We should get back to the quinjet."

"One more thing," Sam chimed in again and pointed between Tony and Emmaliene, "How do the two of you know each other?"

"Really?" Tony spoke up, "Everything we've been through, and you don't even talk about me?"

Emmaliene arched an eyebrow at him, "Tony—"

"No, no," Tony cut in, "You had your chance." He turned from her to look at all the others, "The short version, We dated."


	18. Planning & Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello darling readers! I am so sorry for the delay on this next chapter. A few days after posting my last chapter, I tested positive for COVID-19 and I have been recovering since then. Everything was pretty mild, but I did have to deal with some breathing complications. But I now have that under control and hopefully am almost 100% better. So, I apologize for the delay, but I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I certainly had fun writing it.   
> XOXO - Presephone

"It's the same thing," Tony plainly stated as he finished zip-tying the unconscious agent's hands.

"It is _not_ ," Emmaliene retorted as she walked up the ramp of the quinjet.

Steve and Bucky were helping carry on an unconscious Rumlow. It had taken a long discussion convincing Bucky not to put a bullet in Rumlow's head. They finally came to an arrangement; they had to interrogate Rumlow for information about what remains of HYDRA, and Bucky would be the one to ensure that they got the answers they needed.

After he set Rumlow down and Steve began tying him up, he looked over to see Emmaliene helping Sam out of his armor so Clint could get a better look at his bullet wound. She set his armor down by his feet and almost jumped as the engine roared to life.

She looked over to see Bucky sit down on the other side of the quinjet just as Tony stopped by her and continued their argument, "Why does the length of time we dated matter?"

Emmaliene stared at him incredulously, "It doesn't count as dating if we only went on _one_ date."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Minor details."

"Minor details?" Emmaliene questions back, "We were on a date for 6 hours, and I'm pretty sure you don't remember half of it."

"That is nonsense; I remember every Met Gala I've ever attended."

"Okay," Emmaliene folded her arms across her stomach, "Do you remember the Gala afterparty?"

Tony hesitated a moment, "What could I have possibly forgotten?"

"Oh, I don't know," Emmaliene arched an eyebrow, "how about jumping on a table to decapitate a swan ice sculpture because it was ' _looking at you funny.'_ "

"That's ridiculous," Tony tried to refute the claim, "Security would've stopped me."

"They tried. You used the swan's decapitated head like a sword."

There was scattered laughter around the plane, and Tony abruptly walked away from Emmaliene, "This is why I don't like talking to you."

"Yet you keep talking," Emmaliene chuckled as she moved over to where Bucky was sitting. She put a hand on his face, lifting it, "You got hurt."

He wrapped his hand around hers and held it closer to his face, "I'm fine."

Emmaliene smiles shyly and then sits next to Bucky, subtly leaning closer to him, but not enough to draw attention to them.

"I'm confused," Clint chimed in after bandaging Sam's shoulder, "How did the two of you even meet?"

Tony cut in before Emmaliene could answer, "You mean they don't know?" He motions to everyone else on the quinjet as it reaches cruising altitude.

"Not everyone feels a need to flaunt themselves," Emmaliene shot back.

"Well, allow me to enlighten you, gentlemen," Tony gave Emmaliene a Cheshire grin who just rolled her eyes and sunk further against Bucky's shoulder, "I, Anthony Edward Stark, am _not_ the wealthiest person on this jet.."

"What?" Almost everyone seemed to ask at the same time, their gazes turning to Emmaliene.

"How much was it by again, Emmy?" Tony nonchalantly asked.

Emmaliene rolled her eyes and sighed, "At the end of the last fiscal year, I believe I was ahead of you by three."

"Three what?" Bucky asked, looking down at her.

Emmaliene suddenly felt self-conscious and looked away from Bucky's gaze. Tony let out a small chuckle and cleared his throat, "Emmaliene is worth three billion dollars more than me."

* * *

Nick took a sip of his long-gone-cold coffee and looked up again, "Will you sit your old, wrinkled ass down?"

"You leave my ass outta this, rookie," Gerry retorted as he continued to pace back and forth, "Shouldn't you've heard from 'em by now?"

"I told you," Nick sighed heavily, "They'll let us know—"

"If there's anything we need ta know. I know, I know," Gerry finished for him and sat down, "This is one of the reasons I got out of this business."

"It's a nice sentiment, Gerry. But, you and I both know that you never _really_ get out of this line of work."

"I know," Gerry sighed heavily, and his voice took on a sadder tone, "I had just hoped to keep Emmy away."

Nick nodded in agreement, "We would've been able to keep her away. We just didn't know that Pierce had already involved her."

"Rat-bastard."

"Director Fury, sir?" The automated voice broke in.

Nick looked around, "Yes, JARVIS?"

"Mr. Stark has asked that I inform you that the quinjet should be landing momentarily. Should you wish to greet them, that you do so in the medical wing."

"Medical wing?" Gerry restated, "Computer-man, why the hell would they be going to the medical wing?!"

Gerry and Nick immediately left the conference room and sprinted towards the medical wing. The passed several nurses on their way, and Gerry grew increasingly concerned as he saw multiple medical personnel covered in blood. Nick saw Steve and Tony step out of a room quickly and called, "Captain Rogers, report?"

Steve turns around surprised, "Director," he pants, "Right when we landed, some of the HYDRA agents started waking up and beginning to fighting back. We had to get them—"

They were immediately cut off at the sound of a gunshot and screams.

* * *

Gerry ran into the room behind the others, and he took in the scene in front of him.

James was standing in the center of the room with his gun raised to the face of the man who had broken into his cabin. The man was bent over as blood dripped around him. Gerry saw that he was clinging to his arm as blood continued to seep through his fingers.

Directly behind James, Emmaliene stood holding another gun pointed at another man that Gerry didn't recognize.

"Come on, LIenie," Rumlow smirked with his hands raised, "You're not going to shoot me."

Emmaliene took two steps forward and pressed the gun into Rumlow's forehead, "Call me that _one more time_."

For the first time since their meeting, Emmaliene saw genuine fear cross his features as the smirk faded from his face. After several tense moments, Tony and Steve came into view and dragged Rumlow and Rollins from the room. Emmaliene continued staring ahead, her knuckles turning white as she still gripped the gun.

She slightly jumped when she felt cool metal fingers wrap around her hand. James kept his voice calm and low as he spoke, "Give me the gun, Emm."

She hesitated and glanced over her shoulder and then released her grip, and she felt the gun leave her hand. She looked around the room and saw James disassembling the weapon behind her. As her gaze traced the room, she met Gerry's concerned eyes, and she immediately went to him, and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're alright, Peanut," he muttered into her hair as he felt her finally relax.

* * *

Emmaliene and James were shown to the guest floor of the compound. They were given rooms across the hall from each other and just down the hall from where Steve and Sam stayed. Each room had a small living room with a kitchenette. There were two other doors down the hall, one leading to a beautiful bedroom, complete with a king-size bed, a desk, and a large walk-in closet. Through the other door was a large bathroom with a large shower, makeup vanity, and tub.

Emmaliene was now relishing the feel of the hot water on her muscles as she relaxed in the clawfoot bathtub. It was the first time in almost a month that she felt entirely relaxed and had nearly fallen asleep when an electronic voice disrupted the serenity of the moment.

"Miss Harrington?"

Emmaliene almost slipped under the water, "What?"

"Apologies, ma'am. I am JARVIS," the voice explained, "Mr. Stark's personal AI."

Emmaliene looked around, "Okay. What can I do for you, JARVIS?"

"You have a guest in your living room."

"Thank you."

Emmaliene dried off and slipped into a black tank top and jeans. She picked up the silver chain from the counter and stared at it for a long moment. _Worst case scenario,_ she reassured herself, _it's just for a worst-case scenario_.

She walked down the hall and into the living room to find James sitting at the edge of the couch. He had changed into a fresh set of clothes, and it looked like his hair was still drying. Emmaliene felt nervous, which was new, "Hey."

James offered a weak smile, "Hey."

He stood up and walked around to where she was and looked down at her, "About the cabin… I'm sor—"

"Stop," she covered his mouth, "if you're about to apologize for Rumlow triggering the Winter Soldier… _Don't_." She shifted nervously, "You couldn't have prevented that any more than when I was triggered back in Maryland. Should I apologize to you for that happening?"

"No," James spoke against her hand and reached up to take it. He moved her hand to his cheek and held it close, leaning into her palm. When he opened his eyes, she was looking up at him with a mixed expression. He brought his flesh hand to her face and lightly cupped her cheek, running his thumb along her lower lip.

Emmaliene hesitated slightly before bringing her other hand up to the back of his neck and pulling him closer.

While their first kiss had been full of adrenaline and urgency, this kiss was the exact opposite. They were both nervous, not knowing what this connection between them was. James stepped closer as his metal arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, tilting her head as he deepened the kiss.

"Miss Harrington?"

The pair broke away, each one catching their breath. Emmaliene gave a small chuckle, "Yes, JARVIS?"

"The presence of your and Mr. Barnes has been requested in the conference room." The AI continued, "Captain Rogers is waiting by the elevators for you."

"We should go," Emmaliene looked back up at James with a shy smile, "We can talk about this later."

"Yeah," James nodded, "Later." He laced their fingers together as they left the room, making their way down the hall. "So," he mused and glanced down at her, "a billionaire?"

Emmaliene groaned and tried to cover her face, but James only laughed. Emmaliene sighed, "It's not something I bring up often."

"Why?"

"People act differently when they know you have money," Emmaliene shrugged, "I never wanted that."

They came around the corner, and James let go of her hand as they saw Steve standing by the elevator. He turned around and looked at them when they approached, "Hey, Director Fury wants to debrief and discuss what to do with the HYDRA agents."

* * *

The rain had started to fall as he stood on the top of the parking garage with his hands behind his back. He had watched the quinjet take off from another building. Rumlow and Rollins played their parts perfectly, and now the next step of their plan was in motion. It had been a problematic plan to settle on, but they knew that it was the best chance to get what they needed.

"Sir?" He turned back around to see one of his agents stepping out from the helicopter, "We should go before this storm gets worse."

"Very good," he muttered and turned back to the helicopter.

* * *

Lightning illuminated his bedroom, and James shot up with a start. He had been in the middle of another nightmare when thunder rattled against his windows. He got up to get a drink of water from his kitchenette to try and calm down. He was halfway down the hall when he heard a soft tap at his door.

He tensed for a moment and debated getting the desert eagle from under his pillow when the soft tapping came again. He moved to the door and opened it just enough to peer out and was greeted by an unexpected sight.

Emmaliene stood in the doorway, blanket wrapped around her shoulders and tears streaming down her face. James opened the door further and gestured for her to walk in. After he had closed the door, he turned around to look at her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. Another flash of lightning caused her to jump and look back up at James, "I got scared and— Are they sure that the HYDRA agents can't break out? That they can't—"

"Hey," James soothed as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her trembling shoulders, "You're okay. I won't let anything happen to you."

He held her for several minutes as she calmed down. When she had stopped crying, he stepped back and looked down at her, "Do you want to stay?"

Emmaliene sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "If it's not asking too much…"

James took her hand in his and started leading her to the bedroom, "Never."

They both climbed into the bed, and Emmaliene smiled to herself when she felt James wrap his arm around her. She cuddled closer to him and whispered into the darkness, "Thank you, James."

"Go to sleep," he whispered and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder, "I'll chase all of your nightmares away."

With his final words lingering in the air and the storm raging outside, the pair drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	19. Interrogations, PT. 1

His shoes echoed against the walls of the bare hallway. He walked into the large room, pausing to look around as the agents bustled around him. About a meter into the room, he looked around to see the bulletproof glass that spanned the room's entire length and touched the ceiling. He looked into the cell to ensure that everything was being put in place when an agent approached him, "Will everything be ready in time?"

"Yes, sir," The agent nodded his head, "As long as Rumlow's timetable was accurate."

"It will be," He assured, "he knows what will happen if the rendezvous isn't met."

* * *

Emmaliene held the warm coffee mug close as she walked onto the balcony. The pink and orange sunrise had just faded to a cool blue as she took another long sip of her coffee. Even though it was mid-August, there was a slight crispness in the air, causing her to grip her mug like a lifeline.

Looking out on the compound's grounds, she was struck by the property's beauty; she could see the dense forest about half a mile out from the main building. Gerry had told her about several trails leading to a serene lake; she made a mental note to visit the lake in the next few days. She could benefit from a calm walk in nature right now. She took another sip of her coffee. She continued looking out to the towering trees; her mind drifted back to earlier that morning.

_Emmaliene's senses began waking up slowly as she shifted under the cool blanket. She nuzzled her face deeper into her pillow with a groan. At her disgruntled sound, she felt a soft chuckle reverberate against her back, and James' arm whirred to life as it subtly tightened around her waist._

" _If you laugh at me again," Emmaliene grumbled, "I'm going to smother."_

" _Is that so?" James laughed, disregarding her threat, "Do I get to choose what you smother me_ with _?"_

 _James grunted as an elbow struck his stomach. Emmaliene spun around in his arms and playfully landed several jabs to his stomach. He laughed as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her with him as he rolled onto his back. He smoothly grabbed both of her wrists in his metal hand and held them tight. "Did anyone ever tell you that it's rude to attack someone when they first wake up,_ Bambola (doll) _?"_

" _Not from anyone who didn't deserve it."_

 _Emmaliene looked down at James as he relaxed beneath her._ He's beautiful when he smiles _, she thought to herself._

_There was a shift in the atmosphere as they held each other's gaze. James let go of her wrists but held onto her hands, sliding them so that they rested above his heart. His other hand released her waist, and he traced the curves of her face as he tucked a curled strand of hair behind her ear. His breathing increased as his eyes drifted down to her lips and backed up._

_They moved at the same time as their lips met._

_James' fingers laced into her hair as he moved his mouth in sync with hers as he felt the kiss intensify; his metal arm drifted down and wrapped around her waist, gripping the tank top she wore._

_As he pulled her closer, Emmaliene pressed her hand closer to his chest, the other hand drifting into his dark brown hair. She softly pulled his head upward as she deepened the kiss, her tongue lightly tracing his bottom lip. She felt James harshly exhale, and he returned the gesture; as his tongue traced along her lip, her mouth opened just enough that he took the chance and deepened the kiss further._

_Emmaliene softly moaned as she felt James' tongue in her mouth for the first time, causing her to press closer to him. At the feel of her hips pressing closer to his, James gripped her waist and turned her over, so she lay beneath him as their heated exchange intensified._

_Her fingers tightened against his scalp as she pressed her tongue into his mouth. Her other hand traced the muscles of his stomach and then looped around his waist. She ran her foot along his calf and smiled into the kiss as she felt him shudder, and he subtly moved his hips against her._

_The moment that her hand gripped his shoulder blade, James gave a sharp gasp and jerked backward out of her grasp, his metal hand wrapping around her wrist. Emmaliene looked up in shock and saw fear blazing in his eyes as he looked down at her._

_As quickly as he grabbed her wrist, he released it, stumbling backward and off the bed. He stared at her for another long moment, his eyes growing sad as he looked at her confused and hurt expression._

_James opened and closed his mouth several times. Unable to stay in the room, he grabbed a fresh pair of sweatpants and a shirt he had draped over a chair the night before and left the bedroom without another word._

"If you keep furrowing like that, you're going to turn into Frida Kahlo."

Emmaliene was pulled from her memory as she heard the balcony door close. With a roll of her eyes, she took another drink, "Frida Kahlo was a painter from Mexico."

"I was referring to your eyebrows being well on their way to unification," Tony leaned on the railing with his steaming mug, "Why so worried? What's going on in that _richer-than-Stark brain_ of yours?"

"In case you didn't hear, _peasant,_ " Emmaliene shot him a look from the corner of her eye, "It's been a complicated couple of weeks."

"I heard something about that," Tony chuckled as the pair moved over to a small table, "Kidding aside… How are you doing, Emmy?"

* * *

James kept jogging along the trail, attempting to clear his head. _I shouldn't have left like that; he_ chastised himself; I _should've tried to explain._ He kept running, picking up speed in a vain attempt to escape his mind.

He broke through some trees; he instantly saw the lake that Gerry had mentioned the day before. So taken by the lake, he wasn't paying attention and promptly tripped over a log that stretched across part of the sand.

He fell to the ground without being able to catch himself. As he struck the ground her growled into the sand and screamed, "FUCK!"

He closed his eyes and rolled onto his back, and tried catching his breath. He ran his hand down his face with a heavy sigh. James tensed immediately at the sound of rocks crunching underfoot, and his eyes shot open.

He saw the nervous face of Steve, who had stopped several yards away. He had headphones hanging over his chest before the cord disappeared under the neckline of the simple shirt. He hesitated a second more before asking, "You okay?"

"Yeah," James said, "Tripped over the log."

"You sure?" Steve asked, "That scream seemed a little more than just from tripping over a log."

"It's been a…" James stood up and brushed the sand and twigs from his sweatpants, "A… A difficult couple of months."

Steve just silently nodded his head, shifting back and forth on his feet, "I should—Uhm— I'll let you get back to your run."

He started to walk away and was about to put his headphones back into his ears when James called, "Steve?" Surprised, Steve turned around and looked at his best friend, "I was about to head back to the compound if you just want to run back with me."

Steve nodded before looking at James again, "Sure you can keep up, old man?"

James smirked and shook his head, "All this time, and you're still a punk."

* * *

The machine slowly powered down around her, and Emmaliene felt the medical table being pulled back out. As she opened her eyes, she was greeted by Gerry's smile as he helped her sit back up on the table. "How ya feelin', Peanut?"

"Like I just had to go through another brain scan," Emmaliene smirked as the door into the room opened, and Tony and Fury walked in.

"That confirms it," T sighed, "You have a brain."

"What a relief," Emmaliene scoffed, "Anything else?"

Tony's face turned serious as the clear table came to life, and a projection appeared in the center. "Tell us, Emmy," He rotated the image towards her as he finally spoke again, "do you ever remember a surgery here?"

Furrowing her brow, she felt anxiety settle into her chest as she slid off the medical table, approaching the projection of her spine, "No way."

She didn't hear the door open again as others must have come in, but she vaguely heard Steve as what was going on. She heard Tony begin to explain as she reached out and touched the projection in front of her. She flinched as a hand touched her shoulder, and she glanced over to see that Gerry had followed her to the table. She looked back to the projection, and the room fell silent again; Tony, Steve, and Fury stepped into view.

Fury leaned against the table, "Emmy?"

Emmaliene looked up at the others who had gathered; in addition to those gathered around the table, she saw Sam and James standing in the doorway. James shifted under her saddened gaze as she looked back, "When I was young, I suffered from horrible headaches and migraines," she started explaining as her hand ran across the back of her neck, "sometimes I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than a minute at a time. Mom and Dad took me to a specialist, and they found a small tumor here," she pointed at the spot of the projection where everyone's eyes had drifted to, "The biopsy showed that it was benign, but it was putting enough pressure on my spinal cord that it was causing the pain."

"So, is this what was left from that tumor?" Steve asked, looking at her spinal projection and the darkened spot near the base of her skull.

Gerry spoke up, "They had told us that they got all of the tumor, and there wouldn't be any lasting damage."

"Was the specialist the one who performed the surgery?" Fury prodded.

"No," Gerry continued, "He was honest enough to tell us that he was not completely comfortable with performing the surgery because of Emmy's age. She was only eight at the time, and the survival rate for surgery this complicated was very low."

"But," Emmaliene said, "the specialist had heard of an experimental medication that would minimize the tumor, making the surgery more successful."

"Who supplied the experimental drug?" Tony asked.

"I think I can take a guess." Fury looked between Emmaliene and Gerry.

Emmaliene nodded, "Alex oversaw every dose that I took because of his… _Personal_ connection to my family. The headaches were worse at first, but eventually, they got to the point that I was only ever having them once or twice a day."

"Because Pierce had overseen the treatment, he pushed for Everrett and Katya to use one of his surgeons," Gerry explained, "They never had any reason to doubt him, so naturally, they agreed."

Steve furrowed his brow, "So this dark spot here—"

"Is whatever implant that they put in for Project Athena," Emmaliene confirmed, "The bastard saw his opportunity, and he took it."

Without another word, Emmaliene pushed past Sam and James in the doorway and left.

* * *

Rumlow pulled against the chain that wrapped his wrists behind his chair and groaned as the metal only seemed to tighten around him. The door at the far end of the darkened room swung open, and a lone figure walked in and immediately stalk towards him.

"I will admit," Rumlow smirked, "Not who I expected to come in first."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Are you, Captain?"

Steve sat in front of someone that he once trusted. He had changed into his more recognizable uniform, the only omission being his shield, "Why is HYDRA still after Emmaliene?"

"For the same reason, we still want the Winter Soldier," Rrumlow shrugged, "We don't like when others have our property."

Steve knew that he was trying to get under his skin, "This will go much easier for you if you cooperate, Rumlow."

"Why is that, Captain?" Rumlow smirked, "Are you going to send the bad cop in next?"

"If that's what you would prefer." Steve plainly stated as he stood back up and walked towards the door.

"You forget," Rumlow called, "I know his trigger words."

"Oh!" Steve spun on his heel, snapping his finger and pointing, "I must've forgotten to mention," he opened the door revealing another person, "Bucky isn't the bad cop in this situation."

Carrying a small duffle bag, Gerry walked past Steve and into the room.

* * *

_Jab, Cross, Slip_

_Breathe_

_Sweep, Squat, Kick_

_Breathe_

_Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut_

_Breathe_

Emmaliene focused all of her attention on the bag that it took the AI a second notification to gather her watch, "Miss Harrington?"

She took several deep breaths, "Yes, JARVIS?"

"Your presence has been requested on the roof, ma'am." The AI explained.

"Wha— Why?"

"That is where dinner is to be served."

"Okay," Emmaliene sighed, "Tell them that I need to shower, and then I'll be there."

After a quick shower, Emmaliene slipped into a simple black tank, jeans, and sneakers. She made her way up to the roof. She pushed the door open and found nothing. She stopped when she walked around the corner furthest from the door.

There was a single table with two chairs near the edge of the roof. A bouquet of wildflowers had been placed in a simple vase at the center of the table, and a bottle of wine stood open. Near the corner, there was a small record player that had soft music lilting around her.

James stood on the other side of the table, two glasses of wine in his hands and a fearful look playing at the corners of his features. He wore a simple dark green shirt and dark jeans. He took a deep breath, "Hey."

"Hey," Emmaliene tilted her head, "What's all of this?"

"Well," James cleared his throat as Emmaliene walked closer, "I can't take you out for a proper date, so I thought I would bring the date to you."

Emmaliene smiled and accepted the proffered glass of wine and took a sip, "You didn't need to do this, James."

"I did," James wrapped his arm around her, setting her glass on the table, "I want to apologize to you, Emm. What happened this morning… I'm sorry."

Emmaliene shook her head, "James—"

"Please, _Bombala (doll)_ ," He interrupted, "Let me get this out." He brushed her hair behind her shoulder, "I'm not used to my shoulder being touched. In any way, unless it was being worked on or I was using it for…"

He trailed off, and Emmaliened felt a pang in her chest at the sight of how sad he was, "I know that it will take time," her fingers laced between his metal fingers, and she gave his hand a light squeeze, "But I'll be as patient as you need me to be."

James pressed his forehead against hers, " _Io non ti merito (I don't deserve you)._ "

She pushed up onto her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and his grip tightened around her waist. He pulled away from her and looked at her, "We should eat before dinner gets cold."

They enjoyed a quiet dinner, laughing and joking with each other as they ate their simple Italian meal—each one forgetting about the enemy that was only several floors beneath their feet. After dinner, James pulled Emmaliene to her feet and pulled her into a slow dance to match the beautiful melody.

She pressed closer into him as the music faded, and they stood for a moment as the sounds of the early evening surrounded them. She looked up at him as his hand drifted up to her neck, tilting her head further. He brought his head down to meet hers.

She held him close around his waist as he deepened the kiss and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Emmaliene let out a soft moan as James pressed closer to her, which seemed to encourage him further. His hand drifted under the hem of her tank top, eliciting a shiver from her.

Emmaliene pressed against his chest, and he stopped, looking down at her, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"No… I was just going to say," Emmaliene cut him off, and with a smirk, she rose to her tiptoes again and pressed a kiss to his neck, and she felt him shudder as she looked back up to find him watching her closely as his breathing shallowed further, "Maybe we should go inside."

* * *

Gerry washed his hands and watched as the bottom of the sink turned a crimson red. He dried his hands as he looked over his shoulder, "How long are ya gonna keep hoverin'?"

"Just making sure you're okay," Nick pushed himself off the wall where he had been leaning.

"I'm not," Gerry sounded as weary as he felt, his age genuinely starting to show through.

"I'm sorry, Gerry," Nick said as the old man turned around to face him, "I know you never wanted to do that again."

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe," Gerry said solemnly, "I'll pick up where I left off with that asshole in the morning."

* * *

A soft orange glow from a lamp in the corner led to a romantic feel to the room.

James pressed further against Emmaliene as her leg hooked around his hip. His metal hand gripped the pillow next to her head as his other hand traced down her bare leg. He trailed kisses down her neck.

Emmaliene ran her fingers through his hair as her head dropped back against the pillow. She shuddered as he pressed his hips against her, and she let out a gasp at the feel of him. Her breathing became heavier as he ran his tongue along her collarbone.

" _James…_ " She breathed.

James smiled against her skin as his hand drifted up to her side, and he pulled at the strap of her tank. He continued his heated trail of kisses across the top of her chest as his flesh hand began to knead at the skin on her hip. He was about to start kissing down between her chest when he heard a faint noise next to his ear.

He looked up to see a small vial settled in the space between Emmaliene's breasts. He looked closely and saw a little red pill inside. He immediately stilled and slowly reached for the vial only to have it quickly removed from his sight.

He looked up to see the vial clutched in Emmaline's hand, and she wasn't looking at him. He leaned back on his heels, "Emm?"

"It doesn't matter," She shook her head, still refusing to look at him, "It's just habit to wear it now."

"Emmy," The edge in James' voice had become more prominent as his fingers curled around the vial again, "What is in this vial."

"James," Her voice trembled, and her bottom lip held a slight tremor, "Please just drop—"

" _Emmaliene_..." He interrupted again; his voice was low and dangerous.

She finally looked up at him, "It's a cyanide pill."


	20. Interrogations, PT. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one week?! Yay! This next chapter is a little discombobulated and jumps around a bit. I understand that, but I needed to get this info in before the next chapters. So, yes, I am aware that it is a bit disjointed, but I made it flow as well as possible. Enjoy, my loves!
> 
> XOXO - Presephone

Emmaline's neck projection slowly rotated above the clear table as a stream of calculations automatically typed next to the image. Tony leaned back in his chair as he watched and let out a long sigh, "Shit."

A throat cleared, and he looked up to see Steve in the doorway of his lab and pointed a finger in his direction, "If you say ' _language_ one more time, I will demonstrate this century's definition of 'foul.'"

Steve chuckled as he set an open beer in front of Tony and sat down across from him, and took a drink of his beer. He pointed to the projection, "Can you remove it?"

With another sigh, Tony took a drink of the beer, "I don't know."

Steve kept his features controlled but felt a pang of concern in his chest. _Tony's never unsure of anything_ ; he thought as he watched him closely.

Feeling the stern gaze on him, Tony continued, "They implanted it in such a way that, it's fused itself between the C2 and C3 vertebrae, here," Tony zoomed in the projection to the base of the skull and circled the spot in question for Steve to see better, "Even if the surgery is performed flawlessly, there is no guarantee what lasting effects there would be."

"What kind of lasting effects?" Steve asked.

Tony sighed through another long drink, "Nerve damage, temporary or permanent paralysis in some capacity or…" Tony paused for a moment and clicked the projection off, "or worse."

"Are there _any_ options?" Steve questioned further.

"A few," Tony stood up and began pacing the lab, "I don't think just smashing the hell out of those remotes is the option. For all, we know that would activate the Liquidation protocol. Speaking of _smashing_ ," Tony tossed the now empty beer bottle into a bin, "I've sent the data over to our favorite jolly sometimes-green giant to get his opinion. I also contacted a prominent neurosurgeon in Manhattan about a ' _hypothetical surgery'_ with some potential Stark nanotechnology."

"Neurosurgeon?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah. Stephen… Something. I don't remember the name off the top of my head."

"Hopefully, we hear back from one or both of them soon." Steve mused with another long drink to finish off his beer.

* * *

James lifted the chain over Emmaline's head and stood up from the bed. Holding the vial in his hand, he looked back at her with an incredulous gaze, "Why do you have a _cyanide_ pill?"

Emmaliene kept her line of sight trained on her feet, "It's only a last resort."

James shook his head, " _No_ , that's not good enough, Emmaliene."

"What do you expect me to say? What do you _want_ me to say?!" Emmaliene was suddenly on her feet in front of him, "This isn't something that I got just because of what's happening now. I won't let myself get kidnapped again, not by HYDRA, not by fucking mercenaries… Not. Ever. Again." Moving faster than both expected, she snatched the chain from his grasp and put it back over her neck.

"But you don't need this anymore!" James retorted, "We can keep you safe— _I_ can keep you safe!"

Emmaliene felt the anger bubbling, "It's not like I'm going to use it tomorrow, James!"

"So why do you still even have it?!"

"Because I won't let myself get retaken!" She finally yelled, "This is my final contingency plan. My _last_ resort if things go further south than _anyone_ can predict," Emmaliene walked past him and reached for her jeans that had been carelessly tossed on the floor, "No one knew. That was the point. No one was supposed to know. Not Alex, not Gerry, _no one_ except the supplier and me."

James stared at her in utter silence. He took several hesitant steps towards her before reaching out and taking her hand in his. "Let me protect you," He looked down at the floor and whispered, "I _can_ protect you."

The words tasted like poison on her lips, but she had to say it, "Not from everything."

He almost flinched at the insinuation, but he knew she was right. They had already activated the Winter Soldier once against her, and it could happen again. What if next time, others weren't around to protect her? Could he promise that he would never be triggered again?

He was so lost in the internal debate that he jerked at the feel of her hand on his cheek. He looked up to meet her sad gaze, "I never meant for anyone to know about this; but nothing is going to change my mind. This contingency needs to stay in place," She saw the conflict in his eyes, "I'm— I'm sorry, James."

His hand wrapped around her waist as he pulled her close again, " _Non ti è permesso morire, bambola. (You aren't allowed to die, doll)"_

" _Qualunque cosa tu dica, bello. (Whatever you say, handsome)_ ," Emmaliene replied and continued with a whispered plea, "Can we please table this conversation for now?"

James silently nodded, pressing his forehead against hers.

Emmaliene smirked as she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, "Now… Where were we?"

A lascivious grin crept across James' face as he pressed another kiss to Emmaliene's lips. The kiss quickly intensified again as her fingers wove into his hair. He began trailing kisses up her jaw and nipped her pulse point, causing a moan to escape her lips again. His hands ran along her sides, and he quickly lifted her, her legs securing themselves around his waist as the assault continued on her neck.

"I believe we were somewhere," he spoke between kisses, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of her collarbone as he carried her back towards the bed, "around here."

* * *

"You look like shit," He mused from his cell across the hallway.

"What an astute evaluation, Rollins," Rumlow shot back, "It's a wonder you have yet to be promoted further."

"I didn't think they'd let the _soldat_ in there with you," Rollins commented.

"They didn't," Rumlow explained, "This was done by someone whose interrogation methods were adopted by the Winter Soldier program _and_ the Red Room in the late 70s."

"Who's that?" Rollins asked.

"The Inquisitor."

"The Inquis—" Rollins' voice had taken on a fearful tone, "I thought that was a team of interrogators."

"No," Rumlow shook his head in the darkness of his cell, "One man with precision for extracting information from _anyone_. After footage I've seen of his methods, today must've just been the warm-up act. I hope he takes it easier on you, though I doubt it."

"Why?"

"Well, your report did state that you shot a hole in the roof of his cabin."

" _Fuck,_ " Rollins felt dread settle into his chest, "Millegan is THe Inquisitor?" A heavy silence fell between the pair until Rollins questioned further, "When is the rendezvous scheduled to happen?"

"Two days."

"How do you expect we'll get out of here in time?"

Rumlow chuckled, "Trust me, Jack... You'll know when it's time to go."

* * *

Emmaliene's hand ran up the plains of James' stomach as her other hand pulled the hem of his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. His hand tightened on her hip as she straddled him, keeping her lips locked in a heated exchange. Her left hand twisted into his hair again and gave it a soft pull, eliciting a groan from deep in James' chest. She had just started to move her hips against him when he pulled away from their kiss, looking up at her.

She stilled as she saw a flash of fear across his features before his flesh hand reached for hers and held it close to his heart. A moment later, she let him guide her hand over to his left shoulder, holding it there as he closed his eyes.

She knew what a difficult thing this was for him to do, and she was in awe of the trust he had just given her.

Slowly, she began to move her fingers along the scarring where metal met man, feeling him tense underneath her touch. She paused again until he opened his eyes to look at her, "Do you trust me?"

Unable to speak, James could only nod in response.

Moving even slower than before, Emmaliene leaned over and placed the softest kiss on his shoulder, and she felt his grip on her hip tighten. She kissed along the scarred line several times before leaning back and meeting his gaze once more, "You're beautiful, James."

For the first time in decades, James felt a wave of emotion was over him with such force that he felt tears begin to prick the back of his eyes. His arm wrapped around her waist as his metal fingers laced into Emmaline's hair as he pulled her mouth back down to meet his in a passionate kiss.

He rolled them over as his tongue slipped back into her mouth. His arm left her waist, and his hand drifted down her thigh until he grabbed her knee and hooked it around his hip. He pressed his hips into her again, and she moaned into his mouth. At the sound, he began to kiss down her neck again, nipping at her pulse point, causing her the shudder. Just as his mouth returned to hers, he suddenly gasped.

Emmaliene smirked against his lips as her hand began to move against him while her other hand pulled his boxers down. Hist metal hand gripped her tank top and ripped it from her, and she let out a soft chuckle.

"I'll buy you another one," He murmured against her heated skin as he began kissing the top of her chest. He was encouraged at the feeling of her breath shortening as a moan escaped her lips.

Sliding the bra strap down her arm and revealing her breast, he rolled his tongue over her nipple, causing her to gasp. Her thighs tightened around as her hand continued to move against him. As his attention shifted to her other breast, Emmaline's hand drifted under her panties.

As she began circling her bundle of nerves, she felt cool fingers wrap around her wrist. She opened her eyes to see James' lust-filled eyes gazing down at her as he licked his lips. He leaned close to her ear, his hand metal hand wrapping around her panties and dragging them down her legs, "Allow me."

Her breath became ragged as his hand drifted back up her inner thigh, her back arching as one of his metal fingers slipped into her. He began assaulting her neck as he continued moving his finger in and out of her.

"Emm," he whispered as his tongue drug up her neck. He looked down at her again, "Emmaliene, open your eyes." Her eyes fluttered open again, and as her gaze connected with his, he smirked as he slipped another finger into her.

" _James_!" Emmaliene shuddered as she gripped his bicep, her hips beginning to move with him.

He rolled her earlobe around his tongue before he whispered in a husky tone, "Tell me what you need."

" _James…_ " She whimpered again, "James, _please…_ "

"Please, _what_ ," James ran his nose along her jaw, his fingers increasing speed, "Use your words, _bombala (doll)_."

" _Please_ , James," Emmaliene moaned, followed by a gasp as his thumb traced across her bud, "I need you."

James captured her lips in a passionate exchange as he pulled his fingers from her. He pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers as he pushed into her. They both moaned, and Emmaliene gripped his shoulders, trying to pull him even closer to her.

He stilled for a moment as they both tried to steady their breathing. He captured her lips again as he slowly started to move inside of her, causing her to hook her legs on his hips as she met him with each thrust.

His arm snaked around her waist as he hooked one of her legs under his arm, pushing himself deeper into her, " _Fuck_ ," he groaned as his forehead pressed against her collarbone.

" _James,_ " He quickened his pace as her fingernails dug into his shoulder, "Oh _God_ … James, don't stop."

His thrusts became rougher as he gripped the headboard, " _Emm…_ " he pushed her further into the mattress, "Goddammit, Emm… I'm not going to last much longer."

Emmaliene pushed her hips up to meet him faster and faster as her arm looped around his neck, pulling his face to his, "Let go— _FUCK!_ " She screamed after a particularly rough thrust, "I want you to let go, James."

His hand drifted between them as his thrusts became erratic; he quickly circled his fingers around her bud, causing her head to push back into the pillows as her eyes rolled.

" _No_ ," he growled as he grabbed her neck, causing her eyes to shoot open again, "I want to see your eyes when you cum."

" _James…_ " She groaned. She felt the fire in her core ignite as her toes curled. Her hips moved with his as her hand gripped his wrist that circled her bud. With one more thrust, " _FUCK! JAMES!"_ She screamed as her orgasm ripped through her body.

He continued thrusting into her, trying to stretch her orgasm out longer while he chased his own. His thrusts became erratic at the sight of her falling apart beneath him. " _Emm...,"_ he grunted, " _Fuck…_ Emmaliene!" With a shudder, he spilled inside of her, continuing to thrust into her until he was spent.

He finally stilled as he pressed his forehead into hers. They both caught their breath for a long moment until they both opened their eyes again.

He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

* * *

The screens illuminated the room as the tech analyst continued to fast forward through the security footage.

"Stop," the man behind her ordered, "stop there." The screen froze on the frame he was looking for, and he smirked to himself, "Perfect. Send it to the address I gave you."

"Yes, sir." The analyst replied.

He walked out of the room and into the bustling hallway. Anyone he walked past seemed to shrink against the concrete wall so they wouldn't get in his way. He strode into the warehouse where the extraction team was getting ready.

The lead agent saw him enter and approached him quickly, "Sir?"

"We found the file we needed," He looked around the room, "Make sure your men are ready at 2200. We can be there an hour before the arranged extraction if the weather cooperates."

The agent shifted, "We?"

"Yes, Marcos… _We_ ," He arched an eyebrow, "Extracting her has failed too many times. If things go perfectly, we'll be able to get _both_ of them."

* * *

Gerry's demeanor was unsettlingly calm as he set the contents of his bag on the table. Rollins shifted in his chair as he caught sight of several different knives and bottles of liquid. Gerry began calmly, "What do ya know about stomach acid?"

Rollins shifted nervously in his seat as he stuttered, " S-Supposed to have a pH level of 1 and one of the most dangerous acids."

"Very good," Gerry put gloves on as he walked around the table; he put on protective gloves, "Now, since I'm not a total barbarian, I don't have any stomach acid handy for the likes of you."

"Sir—"

"Zip it," Gerry cut him off, "Yer gonna all need that youthful energy."

Rollins swallowed hard.

"As I was sayin'... I don't have stomach acid. What I do have is my _favorite_ tool for my kit. Tell me, Jack," Gerry pulled a final bottle from the duffle bag. The colorless liquid rippled in the jar as Gery twisted the lid off and placed one of the serrated hunting knives into the liquid, "Whadda ya know about hydrochloric acid?"

* * *

Emmaliene smiled into the blanket as James kissed her shoulder. "It's four o'clock in the afternoon… I was only supposed to be back here for a quick shower before meeting Tony for some work on my arm."

"Well, I," Emmaliene rolled over in his arms and placed another kiss to his lips, "Needed some work done _with_ that arm."

James laughed loudly and kissed her again before climbing out of bed and walking into the bathroom.

Emmaliene stretched and sat up, still smiling to herself. She leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed her tossed aside black tank top and leggings. Quickly slipping them back on, she moved over to the laptop that Tony had provided.

She had just signed into her email when she felt a familiar cold arm hook around her waist as James kissed her neck, "I'll see you in a few hours."

Emmaliene looked back at him, "I'll be here."

"Good."

James left her to conquer her mountain of emails that had piled up over the last three weeks with another kiss. She quickly scrolled to the bottom to see how many there were when the subject line of the newest one caught her eye.

" **What _Really_ Happened on 524398 Ravens Court?"**

 _That's my parent's house;_ She thought as the smile drifted from her face as she whispered, "What the fuck?"

* * *

"FUCK!" James screamed.

Steve and Sam laughed.

"Steve... He said a naughty word," Tony stepped back with an exasperated sigh, "You wouldn't keep getting electrocuted if you would sit _still_ , Tin Man."

James, feeling better with the metal tool out of his arm, glanced at Tony, "I understood that reference."

The doors to the lab opened, revealing Nick and Gerry as they walked in. Nick walked over to join the others while Gerry made his way over to a sink with a grim expression. No one brought up the fact his hands were covered in blood as he ran the cold water and began setting tools from his duffle bag into the sink.

"Well?" Same asked Nick when he stopped next to them.

"Made more progress with Rollins," Nick explained, "but still not much to go on."

"What did you get?" Steve asked.

"Rumlow isn't in charge, like he claimed," Gerry said, joining the men as Tony replaced the panel in Bucky's arm, "But Rollins wouldn't give up who is leading this operation."

"Sergeant Barnes?"

"Yeah, JARVIS?" James answered the AI's query.

"Miss Harrington has requested that you join her in the first-floor conference room and that you bring the remote devices that control her implant."

James thought that it was an odd request, "Can you let her know I'll be there in 30 minutes?"

"I can," the AI replied, "However, I would recommend a faster response."

"Why is that computer-man?" Gerry asked.

"Miss Harrington appears to be quite distressed," JARVIS explained, "Currently, she is pacing the length of the conference room with a Desert Eagle handgun."

The room cleared out faster than any could have predicted. They all sprinted down the stairwell to the first floor from the eighth and were almost breathless, except for the two super soldiers, when they reached the room.

Pushing the door open, they found the room dark except for a paused video projected in the middle of the conference table. "JARVIS, lights," Tony ordered.

"I'm sorry, sir, "JARVIS chimed in, "My protocols have been overridden for this room."

Tony looked back into the darkened room as James took a step around the table before freezing at the unmistakable sound of the handgun cocking in his direction.

"Emm?" James almost whispered, "What's going on?"

Emmaline's silhouette stepped out of a darkened corner; the handgun aimed directly at James as everyone tried to decipher her unreadable gaze at the super-soldier.

"Did you do it?" She whispered.

James slowly raised his arms at the sight of the raised gun, "Do _what_ , Emm?"

She took two steps closer, her eyes trained on James as she pressed a button on the illuminated keyboard.

The security footage from her parent's house began playing.

Everyone heard the sharp intake of breath from James.

Emmaliene took one more step towards him, a slight tremor in her hand that held the gun in front of her, "James?"

James' pained expression met hers, and all he was met with was disgust.

"When we were at my parent's house," Emmaliene's voice was dangerously low, "Did _you activate_ my implant?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look... A cliff... K, bye!   
> :: runs and hides::


End file.
